Always Have, Always Will
by Flowerlady
Summary: Post DN AU, Kyp, Jaina..Jaina returns from the Swarm War to realize she loves Kyp and leaves Zekk. Part one of a series.
1. Chapter 1 Always Have, Always Will

**Title: **Always Have, Always Will  
**Author:** Flowerlady  
**Timeframe:** post-DN AU  
**Characters:** Kyp/Jaina, Zekk, L/M, H/L, OC  
**Genre:** Romance, Angst, Some Action

**Summary:** Jaina, after returning from the Unknown Regions, discovers that she loves Kyp and leaves Zekk. While they pursue their new relationship a new threat is brewing on the Outer Rim that could destroy the stability of the GFFA and them.

**Author's Notes:** This is first part of a multipart story about what the Legacy Era could be like. Besides this story there is a series of vignettes that companion it. There is also a sequel to this.

It is important to know that _Always Have, Always Will_ is also an AU of the Dark Nest Trilogy. The events that happened in the Trilogy as I have reworked them will mostly be spelled out in this story, but it is important to understand: First, the Killiks were the "bad guys" under the influence of Rayner, Welk and Lomi. Second, Rayner tricked the strike force Jedi to join the Hive to fight against the Chiss for territory. Third, the GFFA and the Jedi (although, devided) helped the Chiss and in doing so the Chiss joined the GFFA following the War. Forth, Jag Fel was never shot down but actually was seen as a hero of the war. Fifth, the Joiners Zekk and Jaina were essentially held captive and were rescued by Kyp, Saba and the Solos. Finally, Zekk and Jaina had been living in the Hive as if married.

**_Always Have, Always Will_**

**Chapter 1 **

She stared at her reflection in the 'fresher mirror as she mindlessly brushed her long brown hair. She was trying to find the calm and courage for what she was about to do. She had been a soldier since she was sixteen but nothing in the twelve years since quite frightened her like this did. Even her time in the Hive mind of the Killiks had not scared her this much. She felt uneasiness in the pit of her stomach and she knew it was only because she was about the break the heart of one of her oldest friends. The second heart she had broken in her twenty-eight years.

However, she could not continue living the lie that she had been since their return from Chiss Space six months ago. Since he came back into her life and especially since she realized he felt the same way for her that she did for him. Yesterday when she accidentally ran into him after his return from a Jedi mission for the Council, he had said something that told of his feelings in a way he had never done before. But she hadn't wanted to run into him, she didn't even know that he had returned. He had been gone for over a month and she could not stop thinking about him for that time. Worrying about him and his safety and about the thing she could barely admit to even herself. But she could no longer deign her feelings for him, she could no longer deign herself happiness because she feared that she would lose him if she let herself love, truly love him. She just needed time to think and decide how she was going to make a move when she ran into him.

Jaina Solo remembered the encounter with her former Master quite well.

X

She had gone to the Jedi Temple to work out. Her apartment was too small and she desperately needed something to work out her frustrations on. And to think. Nothing like lightsaber practice to accomplish that. She planned to use a couple of remotes to practice with. A dueling partner would be better but she really wasn't in the mood to deal with someone else so two or three remotes would have to do.

She went to the locker room and changed but when she went by the gym she didn't see anyone through the windows and she was glad. She didn't need prying eyes on her. After changing she went into the gym, but she hadn't stretched her feelings out and she chided herself for breaking a cardinal Jedi rule, when she saw him. However, she couldn't turn away, she was suddenly glad to see him.

He had his back to her as he ran on a treadmill, moving at an incredible pace but she knew he wasn't augmenting himself with the Force; although, his presence in the Force burned brilliant and the power he exuded was great. No, he had no need to use the Force to increase his speed or his endurance. He had a natural athletic ability that hadn't decreased with his age and was actually envied by Jedi half his age even if they disliked the Jedi Master Kyp Durron himself.

She found herself watching his broad shoulders move as his arms pumped as he ran. She took in the way his tight dark muscle shirt stretched over the well toned muscles of his back as they moved under it, and scrunched at his narrow waist, how his shorts fit over his perfectly shaped buttocks. She suddenly shuddered at the feeling of desire that spiked in her and realized she couldn't face him today no matter how much she had missed him. Besides, it was him and what she was going to do with her feelings for him that she came here to think about.

She turned to leave but was too late because he had sensed her there, no doubt before she even came into the gym. Kyp turned to look over his shoulder at her and grinned. To her surprise he hardly sounded winded as he continued to run and said, "Not even a hello, Goddess? It has been a long time. And here I thought I was your friend." He leaped off the still moving tread to land next to the machine and turned it off as he called a towel to his hand that was laying on a bench of another machine a meter or two away.

She watched as he wiped his face and hair. He shook his head vigorously to shake out his shoulder length curling silver shot black hair. She licked her lips and swallowed hard while gripping her lightsaber tighter. _Why did I have to run into him at the gym?_ She thought, _He really had no right to look that damn good._

She knew she needed to answer him so she swallowed again and smirked, "I didn't want to disturb you, Master Durron." She nodded towards the treadmill and asked, "How many kilometers did you kill?"

He smiled and stepped closer to her. She watched his dark green and brown flecked eyes move down over her. She was suddenly aware that she was fairly scantily dressed in a black mid drift tank-bra and boy shorts that were probably a little too short. After a moment his eyes moved back to her face. She saw him swallow hard and a sudden flash of emotion in his eyes but he covered it quickly and answered her question. "Eighteen but I wanted to do twenty." He grinned, "I was interrupted by a Goddess, and I can't be rude and ignore her, now can I?" Before she had a chance to answer he nodded towards the lightsaber in her hand as he threw the towel back over to the bench, "Looking for a sparring partner or is Zekk coming?"

Jaina could almost see the dark cloud that passed over her former master's eyes at the mention of her current lover. She shook her head as she walked over to the mat and sat down. She began to stretch out before the work out. Deciding she didn't want to be alone or rather, that she wanted to be with him, she looked up and smiled, "No, he isn't coming. But—um—would you like to duel?"

She covertly watched him watch her as she stretched out her legs one at a time and then lifted her arms above her head to stretch them. She worked her neck muscles by dropping her head back and working it in slow circles. A shudder moved through her as she glimpsed him turn quickly away with a slight blush on his face, but not before she saw the reason for his sudden embarrassment that his too tight shorts could not hide. _So, I do have an affect on him,_ she smiled. She sweetly said aloud, "I'll admit that I'm a little rusty. It would be a less difficult win for you. One that you can enjoy for once against me."

She watched him take a few deep breaths and felt the Force swirl around him and through him. When he finally turned around he seemed calm and the incriminating evidence she had glimpsed before was gone but he did not look directly at her. She grinned and thought, _Calming breaths to relax his—tension. This could be interesting. _  
"For once," he laughed; although she caught a slight tremor in the laugh she still thought its deep, rich sound was beautiful. She had always loved his laugh. "If I recall correctly, you have only effectively beat me once maybe twice before."

She stood up and he added, "Are you sure that you want that bad of a beating if you are 'rusty', as you put it? Wouldn't want to upset the Goddess."

She grinned; Kyp had always called her that. She honestly had no idea why he still did; even the Yuuzhan Vong knew that she wasn't the incarnate of Yum-Harla. That it had been trick to draw them out. She could only shake her head and she responded to him, "I'll take my chances, Master."

Without taking her eyes from his, she called her saber to her hand from where she had laid it on the mat beside her and ignited it. The snap-hiss and gentle hum of the blade filled the gym. She only beat him by a second. His flew with blinding speed from the bench where his towel laid, igniting in mid-flight. It landed in his hand easily and just in time to parry her first attack. Lavender blade against lavender blade.

He raised an eye brow and stepped back. They began to circle each other in a guard position. His stormy green eyes locked with ones of brandy. "You didn't expect to get a jump on me did you, Goddess?"

She nodded and grinned. "Nice move. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. You seemed a tad bit _distracted_ there for a minute."

She snickered when he nearly missed her strike. She was distracting the great Kyp Durron, Jedi Master. "Kyp, I thought I was rusty. Looks like you could use some practice too."

He winked and said sardonically, "Just wanted to give you a fair shot." Then they gave of themselves to the Force and he lunged and she parried—the dance began.

They were actually pretty well matched and he only finally got an opening when he allowed himself to be backed near the wall. She thought that she had him cornered but he leaped back towards the wall and bounced off it with the balls of his feet propelling him over her head. The move surprised her and she was not prepared to meet his two handed strike that hit her blade near the hilt. The force of the impact knocked the lightsaber from her one-handed grip. It flew from her grip and she let out a Corellian course that would have made her father blush.

Kyp laughed and easily reached out and caught the saber and pulled it to him using the Force. He deactivated it and bowed. He made as if he was going to hand it back to her and grinned, "I believe this belongs to you, Goddess."

She reached for the proffered hilt only to find her hand grabbed by his. She let out a shriek but he did not let her go; instead he pulled her to him. He held her with his hands grasping her upper arms. For what seemed like an eternity, they just stared at each other. She saw the storm of emotion raging in the depth of his enchanting green eyes and she held her breath. Sudden desire flared in her and her breathing finally came in ragged gasps. She breathed in his scent, a mixture of spice and sweat, which was entirely masculine, entirely Kyp. She moaned and could feel the hardness of his body against hers. Her head was bent back and he bent over her. She watched as his lips came towards hers and gasped when he suddenly released her, turning away from her.

He put her saber into her shocked hand and walked over to pick up the towel to wipe his face. He then turned his head towards her and said after shaking his hair loose, his voice seemingly huskier than before, "Need to be a little less trusting, Goddess. I could have taken you there."

She swallowed and she could feel the heat in her face from the blush she knew was growing brighter. _Was he going to kiss me_, she thought, _and was there a double meaning to his words? Or is he just toying with me_. She wished she knew. She was more confused then before. _Why didn't he kiss me?_ she wondered. He had only kissed her once before, years ago after she broke up with Jag Fel. She remembered the passion in the kiss and she remembered the fear it caused in her. Jag had never kissed her like that and the shy gentle brushing of lips Zekk had given her when she was a teen didn't even compare. Actually, she had never been kissed like that since. It was the kind of kiss that left you breathless and begging for more. It was the kiss that haunted her dreams. She suddenly wished he had followed through, this time she wouldn't have slapped him but would have begged for more.

She sat down on the mat and began to stretch out in a cool down. She was visibibly shaken and all too tense all of a sudden and she didn't want Kyp to see the affect he had on her.

He sat down about a meter away and began his cool down stretches. He then said after pulling his knees up and hugging them, "Well, what's going on? You were wound pretty tight when you came in. What did Zekk do this time?" She looked up at him and she knew she couldn't shield all of the conflicting emotions that were brewing in her. "Or is it something else?"

Since her return Kyp had been her crutch, her punching bag, her conscience and her confident. She could tell him things she couldn't even tell Zekk. Kyp knew her like no one else, even her twin brother did not know her as well. Not any more. He freely offered a shoulder for her to cry on and the hard kick in the pants when she needed it. He gave her the support she secretly craved and the advice she needed. All in all, he was her best friend and in many ways the other half of her Jacen, or Zekk for that matter, never could be. She smiled at him, and thought how ironic life was because he was a long way from the man she swore she hated and wouldn't even spit on if he had been dieing of thirst in the desert of Tatooine all those years ago.

She looked away and pulled her knees up to her taking on a similar posture to Kyp's. She couldn't look him in the eye and kept hers on her bent knees. "Zekk asked me to marry him."

She heard his sudden intake of air and felt a surge of fear and pain from him that he quickly hid behind his iron tight shields. He swallowed and asked in a calm but small voice, "And your answer was?"

She then looked at him, "I told him I need more time." She watched as he slowly nodded his head as if he was being thoughtful. She crossed her legs and leaned on her elbows after an awkward silence she went on to say, "I'm not sure Zekk and I are right for each other. Sure I love him." She didn't miss his nearly invisible wince as he looked down at his knees. "But I'm beginning to think its more friendship than love. There's something missing."

He looked up at her then and their eyes met. She could see the sudden hope that was in the green depths. She said in a quiet voice that grew stronger as she talked, "Kyp, I want to be swept off my feet. I want to feel like the princess in the Alderaanian and Corellian bedtime stories Mom and Dad told me as a child. You know the ones, where the knight saves the princess from some terrible peril and then whisks her away to love her forever and ever. Is that too much to ask? I'm beginning to think I'll never find that kind of love. That kind of passion. It wasn't there with Jag and its not there with Zekk. Maybe I could settle for less if I knew that that kind of love didn't exist, but I know it does, Kyp. I see it in my parents' marriage and in Uncle Luke's and Aunt Mara's. Even in Jacen and Tenel Ka."

She took a deep breath to calm the tears that were threatening to fall. She had to get away. She couldn't say more and she did not want Kyp to see her cry, so she jumped to her feet abruptly and headed towards the door. "I got to go." Her voice nearly cracked.

His quiet voice stopped her at the door but she didn't look at him, "Maybe what you are looking for is closer than you think. You just haven't looked at the right person."

His words hit her like a rock and she realized the truth. She loved him and he loved her. She also realized that she had struggled with this love for years. But then why was she so afraid of her best friend who held exactly what she wanted?

X

She knew what she needed to do. She took one last look at her reflection as she ran the brush through her nearly waist length brown hair for the countless time. She had showered and changed into a tight black sweater her mother had bought her and tan pants. She knew her dress would surprise the man waiting out in the bedroom. He thought she was getting ready for bed, not for leaving.

She sighed and turned from the mirror to the door. She hit the slap pad and stepped through saying the words she knew would break the heart of one man so that she could go to the man she truly loved.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

"I can not go on like this. It's not working any more," she said from the doorway of the 'fresher of the small bedroom she had shared with him for the past six months. They lived here together since returning to the city that was being rebuilt on the ruins of the planet of Coruscant; since their rescue from Unknown Regions and the end of the war that destroyed the Dark Nest Killiks and their bond with it.

He looked up from the bed that they shared and looked at her. Her brown eyes were defiant and determined as she stepped into the room. Fear suddenly flashed inside him. He had asked her to marry him two days ago and she had been distant since and especially since yesterday. He really had not been surprised by her dodging his proposal, saying she needed more time. He had felt her distraction for the past few months. Actually, every since Durron rescued them, she had been spending way too much time with him. He could understand their friendship, even their onetime, questionable Master-Apprentice relationship, but he knew there was more to it than that. And that is what scared him to the bone. The emerald eyes sought hers. As he turned and sat on the edge of the bed, he said in a voice that was suddenly too small, "What do you mean?"

Jaina Solo took the five steps to stand before him. "Zekk, I can't marry you. I really don't want to hurt you but I can't go on living like this. I'm sorry, you will always be my friend but I don't love you in the way I should to marry you," she said quietly and reached out to touch his shoulder but he abruptly stood wrenching away from her. She winced at the wave of pain that flooded her through their Force bond. Which she was glad was getting weaker the more she distanced herself from him. She softly said, "I'm so sorry. I thought that with our bond and with your love it would be enough. But there is something missing with us and I want more. I know there is more out there."

Zekk walked to the small window and looked out over the growing cityscape but did not see it. He ran a hand though his long black hair to grab at the back of his neck. A few moments of painful silence passed between them until he laughed bitterly. After bringing his hand down and examining a hair that came lose and was trapped between his fingers, he said without turning, "Have you ever stopped to realize that you have a thing for black-haired, green eyed men, Jaina?" He turned and faced her, his own green eyes burning from the tears that threatened to fall but he would not give into them. Before she could answer he went on to say with a sad smile. "Oh, don't deign it. The proof is in the past and…" he swallowed, "…the present or should I say the future—Me, Jag Fel, and now as always, Kyp Durron."

Jaina opened her mouth to protest but before she could Zekk went on to vehemently say, "Do you think I'm blind!" He walked past her to stand by the dresser on the far wall. He felt trapped but he needed to face the pain that was welling up inside him. He was not going to give her the satisfaction of breaking his heart without a fight. His pride would not just stand by and let her say meaningless words of how sorry she was to him and then walk out so she could run to _him_. He turned and faced her when she did not answer his question.

"I see how you look at him, Jaina. I see how your face lights up when he calls you by that stupid nickname. I think that you sometimes really think you are a goddess. Does he make you feel that way?" Anger was growing inside him but he did not care, "I see how easy you get along with him, the easy banter and how you make him laugh or how he makes you laugh. I can't do that. You may argue with me but you don't do so just for the sake of arguing like you do with Durron. I can feel your distance from me and how you try to close yourself completely off from me when you are with him," he swallowed, and went on, "Or when you are thinking about him." He moved closer to her and was only centimeters away from her, their eyes locked. His voice was laced with venom as he said, "That's right, I can feel your desire for him. I've even seen your dreams about him. You wonder what _it_ would be like with _him_." Before she could respond he spat with a fever that caused her to step back, "Sith, Jaina, I even know that you have fantasized about _him_ while _I'm_ making love to you just so you can respond to my touch!"

Her eyes grew wide as she stepped away from him, he knew that he was frightening her and he felt an odd pleasure in that. He chuckled bitterly and spat, "Or did you forget about our Force bond? You have tried to close me off but you can't completely because I'm open to you. I even know when you've opened yourself to him." He took few deep breaths, calming himself; his anger spent being replaced by pain, he quietly said, "I've actually known this was coming for a while. I only asked you to marry me to see if you would. Because if you did at least I'd still have you even if you didn't love me. But you love him and you have for a long, long time. I don't think you ever loved me. I was only hoping that someday you could love me. But I was the boy you had a girlhood crush on that you easily forgot to chase after Jag Fel. When he turned you away out there in Chiss Space you found comfort in my arms again because I was there. But it wasn't even Fel that you really wanted, it was Durron. I should have known when I looked into your dreams and saw you were dreaming of him, that I was only a substitute just as Fel had been." Jaina's sudden intake of air told him that she was unaware that he knew this but she didn't deign it. "Admit it, Jaina, you never really loved Jag either. I remember all too well the confusion you felt when you sent him away and Durron seemed to be ignoring you after the Yuuzahn Vong War."

He took a deep ragged breath and turned away from her again saying quietly, "I release you, Jaina, go to him. That is where you really want to be." He then turned and added, "Just remember I won't be there when he breaks your heart. And I believe you've run out of black-haired, green-eyed men."

Jaina stared at him. He knew that she could feel his pain but she wouldn't for long. He then severed the Force bond that they had shared since the time spent in the Hive. The abruptness of the severe caused Jaina to gasp. But Zekk ignored her; he could not stand to be so close to her any longer. He walked dismally back to the window to stare out at nothing. She was his first love and he wondered if he would ever truly get over her. But she hasn't loved him for a long time. Even when they were still young before the war that tore the Galaxy apart, before she began chasing Jag Fel, Kyp Durron had always been a shadow. She had always been attracted to his rogue persona and rugged good looks even though he had hurt her and lied to her on numerous occasions. Zekk sighed and thought, _I even fought with him then, when he definitely was too old for her. But age meant nothing now. Jaina was a full grown woman who had lived more life than most women twice her age and he knew that now too._

"I don't know what to say, Zekk. Except that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall in love with him. I've deigned it for so long even to myself."

Zekk could hear the tears in her voice but he didn't care. "Go, Jaina. Don't make this any harder than it already is."

Zekk heard her turn and go, she stopped at the door and whispered, "I'll be by sometime tomorrow to get my things. You can have the apartment." He could not help but hear the pain in her hoarse voice, but there was some thing else there too—Relief, as if she was suddenly set free. Then she was gone with a swish of the outer door opening and closing. He was left standing there staring out at nothing with silent tears falling to the beating of his twice broken heart.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Kyp Durron sat at his desk in the office provided for him as a Council Member at the Jedi Temple and stared into the text of a datapad without seeing it. He was thinking of Jaina again. Since yesterday's run in with her at the gym, he could barely think of anything else. He could not believe how close he had been to giving into the temptation and kissing her. But he knew he'd never be able to stop with just a kiss. He loved her and desired her too much for that. But he would never push her again. He had only allowed himself weakness once before, and her rejection about destroyed him. No, it was much better to let her make any future moves.

He supposed that was what bothered him most. She seemed to want him to kiss her. _Should I have followed through? No, because if she refused me again it would have destroyed me._

He remembered back to that kiss seven years ago and wondered what happened. Jaina Solo had broken up with that cocky Chiss pilot Jag Fel after the peace with the Yuuzhan Vong. During the following few months Kyp and she became closer than ever. They had enjoyed a few meals together on Mon Cal after the war and before all the resettling of the Vong to Zonoma Sekot was done from Coruscant. He had thought she was ready to take the next step. So, after returning her home one evening, after what he thought was quite a romantic dinner just for friends, he kissed her. He still remembered the slap that she gave him and the pain and confusion her words caused him.

She had told him that he had gone too far and that she did not consider him more than a friend and a mentor. She never wanted him to touch her like that again. That was the last time he seen her for over two years. He avoided her at all costs. He even neglected some of his Council duties just to avoid running into her again. But when Master Skywalker approached him about his duties to the Jedi, he knew he couldn't let his love for Jaina destroy his one chance to prove that he was worthy of being on the Council. In many ways, the Council was what kept him grounded. He had wanted the Council to be formed a long time before it actually was, mainly to keep Skywalker from making all of the decisions for the Jedi. Ironically, the formation of the Jedi Council was one of the few things Luke Skywalker and Kyp ever agreed upon but for totally different reasons. And, Force, since Corran Horn joined the Council, Kyp definitely didn't want removed from it.

So, he came back but he still avoided Jaina. She had tried to contact him a few times and once during a Jedi meeting she approached him, but he brushed her off with sarcastic remarks that only made her angry. That had always been his defense against her and he wondered why he always did that. He suddenly wandered if he should have opened up to her then. _What if she had wanted to…_

But he didn't and he would never know. She never approached him again, and then she had gone off into the Unknown Regions with Jacen and the other Jedi who had been on the Myrkr Mission. She, Zekk and others joined the Hive mind of the Killiks. Jacen almost joined the Hive but instead fell to the Dark Side (although, Jacen deigns this) to protect Tenel Ka, Queen Mother of Hapes, when she provided her fleet for the Killiks at Jacen insistence. Several of the others were almost killed in the war with the Chiss that followed, or like Ben Skywalker, Jacen's apprentice, were still having problems adjusting from the effects of the bonding.

When Han, Leia and several Jedi were going after the captured young Jedi, of course, Kyp volunteered without hesitation. He needed to free Jaina and bring her home. He was among the group that destroyed the Dark Nest and freed the Jedi. But he really wasn't prepared for what he discovered. Jaina and Zekk were bonded and were living together as if married within the Colony and had no intention of breaking that bond after leaving.

Kyp couldn't help but smile at the response this got from Han Solo. Kyp thought his old friend was going to shoot Zekk for not wanting to make their relationship legal. Kyp however, was glad when Jaina defied her father's wishes and said she and Zekk did not need a datachip to bind them. Alas, Han may now get his wish anyway.

Kyp threw the datapad on the desk and leaned back in his chair, laying his suddenly throbbing head on the back rest and closing his eyes. He felt totally alone and knew that feeling would never go away. He wondered if the Force was punishing him in some way for what he did twenty-five years before. He then took a deep breath and shunted the headache away.

He opened his eyes and remembered the other aspect of his encounter with Jaina at the gym that had haunted him all night and all day. It caused him to lose sleep and now was preventing him from leaving. It was her near break down at the end before she left. _What did she mean by saying she wasn't sure she was really in love with Zekk? And why did she tell me that?_

"Ugh!" he groaned and abruptly stood, running his hand through his hair. "Why do I let her do this to me? Why do I let her torture me both physically and mentally until I don't know what to do any more?" he pleaded to no one. He walked over to look at a large holo on the wall above the shelving in his office. It had been taken just after the Yuuzhan Vong defeat and pictured several Jedi including Jaina. He stared at her beautiful, perfect face and said in an anguished whisper, "Goddess, why do I love you so much?"

He had never let a woman or any thing have this much hold on him. She could make him melt with just a look from her deep brandy eyes or a toss of her long chocolate hair. He had once even deigned his feelings for her, hoping that if he pretended they weren't there they would go away. It didn't work. He told himself that he only wanted her to be happy because she was Han's daughter. He tried to convince himself that friendship with her was enough and that as long as she was happy so was he. But he was only kidding himself even then and now it was worse. He knew he could not leave her after he helped rescue her. She needed the support of friends and family more than ever. Only, she all but shut out her family and he became her main support pillar besides Zekk. He had let their friendship grow into something even deeper than it had been before. Though, now the pain of knowing she relied on him, but never would completely give herself to him, was sometimes nearly as unbearable as the pain had been when she rejected him.

He wondered again if he could ever stop loving her because he had for so long. He honestly believed he fell in love with her when he really had no right to even think of her as more than a child. Back when the sixteen year old hot shot pilot beat him at Lando's Folly and freely bragged about beating him to him. No one crossed Kyp Durron, but Jaina never seemed afraid of him even as a child. She could get Kyp to do any thing for her. But at the Folly he realized she was no longer a child and that she was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She unknowingly stole the frozen, battered heart of Kyp Durron and melted it. Only a Goddess could ever make him love after he promised himself he never would again after losing his brother. He had friendships but he never loved any one else again until Jaina. And now the Goddess held his heart and squeezed it by only offering him friendship but never her love.

He turned away from the holo and looked at the chrono on the desk. He really should go home and try to get some sleep. He had a meeting with Luke first thing in the morning then later with the Chief-of-State and Intelligence to go over the data he collected on the mission to the Outer Rim. He met with several contacts out there that he knew from before the Yuuzhan Vong War. Back when he was either loved by the people who he and others like him protected, or hated by the pirates, smugglers and governments that felt his wraith for the crimes they committed.

He made his way back to his desk when he suddenly felt Jaina's Force sense brushing his. He sat down again and frowned; he really did not want to see her now. Then a sudden anticipation and apprehension filled him. Why would she be seeking him out at this hour? He feared that she was trying to find him to let him know she decided to accept Zekk's proposal. _But why the need to tell me now, she could vape me with that torpedo in the morning? No, something else must be wrong._ Concerned that she may be in trouble, he reached out to find her. He was confused by the feelings he felt through the Force from her. He sensed several conflicting emotions from her, fear and pain, but mostly determination, relief, love and desire.

He nearly pulled out of the momentary bond but didn't when she reached for him again, as if to beg him to stay. He instead stretched his own senses further to get a bearing as to where she was. She was headed to the Temple by way of leaving his apartment building. She was coming to him.

He followed her signature in the Force for the ten minutes from his building to the Temple. When he traced her coming up the turbolift, he stood and went to the door of his office. He took a deep calming breath that did little to quail the sudden tension he felt at seeing her, and opened the door before she could knock.

X

Jaina looked up at him as the door to his office slid open. She lowered her hand and smiled weakly. "I guess you sensed me coming." She felt a sudden fear. She knew she probably looked a mess. She had cried almost the entire way to his apartment and when she didn't find him she panicked causing more tears to fall.

But if he noticed he said nothing only half-heartedly grinned and said, "Yeah." He stepped away from the door and went back to his desk. There he leaned on the front edge and crossed his arms in front of him and his ankles as he stretched out his legs. He looked completely relaxed. He lost the grin and his face became impassive. His emotions appeared completely under control.

Jaina swallowed hard as she moved into the office, the door closing behind her. Jaina reached out to him but he had his iron-tight shields up. However, she still got a hint of the tension he was hiding. Her gaze met his and she suddenly wondered what lay beneath the intense dark green and brown flecked storm that raged in their depths.

"Kyp, we need to talk," she finally broke the thick silence that built between them. She placed herself before him and her gaze never left his.

"What do we need to talk about?" he asked wryly and grinned. "Did you and Zekk have a spat and you couldn't wait until morning to tell me all about it, Goddess?"

Jaina never wavered; she couldn't let her frustration and anger come to the surface. She couldn't let him distract her from what she came there to say. "Kyp, we need to talk about—us."

X

Kyp could only stare at her and finally in a choked whisper he said, "Us?"

"Yes, us." Jaina's brandy eyes bore into his. The intenseness of her gaze caused him to turn away.

He stood and moved from the desk. He nervously combed his fingers through his unruly hair. "What about—um—" he had to swallow the sudden lump in his throat, "us?" He suddenly felt a cold fear that she was about to break his heart without even realizing it.

Jaina sat down on the couch by the wall opposite the shelving and Jedi holo and looked down at her hands. He noticed that they were trembling. He also noticed the puffiness of her eyes and the tearstained cheeks. After a few stretched moments she swallowed and looked up at him, a new determination shown in her eyes that radiated through the Force to him. She simply said, "Sit down."

He could do nothing but comply. He pulled the chair from in front of his desk over to sit before her. After he was seated she took a deep breath and let it out.

"Kyp, I'm in love with you."

Kyp was actually glad he was sitting because her revelation shocked him to the core. It was not what he had been expecting. He stammered, "You—you're in lo—love with _me_? What about Zekk?"

"I've left him," she simply stated but Kyp could hear the pain in her voice. "He took it pretty hard, but I couldn't go on with him, Kyp. I realized yesterday that it is you that I'm looking for. I can't deign myself happiness any longer." She reached out to lay her hand over one of his which were folded into tight fists in his lap. The gentleness of the touch sent an electric shock through Kyp. He laid his free hand over hers and looked up to meet her eyes.

This time though as their eyes met, Jaina lowered her shields—completely. He gazed into not only her eyes but her very soul. He was flooded with her love, and something that completely undid him—her passion and desire.

"Oh, Jaina…" He couldn't say more. He moved forward at the same time she did. Their lips met and he tentatively brushed hers with his. He then huskily whispered against them, "I love you. I've loved you for so long." He took her into his arms, pulling her onto his lap. She straddled his legs and wrapped her arms around his neck, entwining her fingers into his dark silky hair. He captured her lips fully and kissed her with all of his pent-up passion. She moaned and opened her mouth under his and his tongue ravaged the inside. He tasted her intoxicating sweetness causing his head to spin.

Pulling her closer, he moaned as she couldn't get any closer. He had never in his forty-two years wanted anything as much as he wanted her. He peppered kisses along her cheek to her ear. His hot breath on her ear caused her to shiver. He whispered, "I've loved you for over ten years, Goddess. I've waited ten years for you to tell me that you loved me." She groaned as he nibbled on the fleshy bottom of her earlobe. "I need you, Jaina. I want you. But I know I shouldn't."

She came away from him far enough to look into his eyes. He could see the fire burning in the brandy depths of hers. "Take me back to your place," she said her voice husky with passion. She pulled him to her and kissed him, her tongue flicked inside his mouth. The way she sucked on his bottom lip, sent a shudder through him. The desire he felt pouring off her in that kiss was enough to boil his blood. What she whispered in his ear nearly caused him to explode, "Make love to me, Kyp. Make me yours."

Kyp couldn't take it much longer or he'd need to take her right there in his office and he didn't what to that. It would only cheapen the experience he had waited too long to have. He stood taking her with him. He sat her on her feet but did not let go of her. He needed her for support, his knees felt like jelly. He steadied himself and grinned, "Let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

Moments later they reached his apartment. The turbolift up the eighty floors to it had been torture. They were forced apart by a family of Bothans and had to behave themselves. Kyp keyed in the door code while Jaina turned in his loose one armed embrace. She stepped up onto her tip toes and leaned into him to kiss him. He moaned as her hands worked their way up under his shirt to burn their way across his bare back.

He broke the kiss, raised his eye brow and grinned lopsidedly, "I think we should at least make it through the door."

She smiled seductively, "Yeah, guess your bed would be a tad bit more comfortable than the corridor floor." She raked her finger nails against his flesh as she removed her hands from under his shirt. She moved her hands up onto his chest and grabbed the front of his shirt while she kissed him again. She caught his bottom lip between her teeth and gently tugged on it as she pulled away to step over the threshold. While she pulled on his shirt front, Kyp could only follow; his mouth suddenly going dry as an excited shudder passed over his spine.

They stumbled their way to the door of his bedroom as they continued kissing and their hands were busy exploring. He threw off his cloak and she undid the buttons of his shirt. They finally made it into the room, when he suddenly picked her up and carried her to the bed. He laid her down and his lips found hers again. She moaned as his hands worked her sweater up over her head taking the undergarment with it.

He pulled away from her to take in her beauty as she lay there on his bed. The low light from the lanes of traffic that came in through the large windows gave her skin an ethereal glow. He was positioned over her with his hands entwined with hers which were still above her head. He drank in the way her long chocolate brown hair was splayed over his pillow; the delicateness of her heart-shaped face and her high cheekbones. He gazed into her eyes which were the color of Corellian brandy, her lips the red of Naboo wine and both of them intoxicating. His eyes followed the gentle curve of her neck to the swell of her breasts. He was transfixed by her and was suddenly afraid to touch her for fear that she would vanish and he would awake to another cruel fantasy.

She removed her hands from his and reached up to push his shirt off his shoulders. He threw it off and watched as her eyes roamed over his well toned shoulders and muscular chest. He was lean and had the body of a trained fighter. His chest was bare except for a sprinkling of black curling hair that increased down his abdomen and disappeared into his waistband below his navel. Kyp closed his eyes and groaned as her hands followed the track her eyes had taken searing his flesh while she nibbled on the erect points of his nipples.

"Oh, Kyp…" She breathed as she moved her hands up along his flanks until they were wrapped around his neck; her fingers entwining into his long shoulder length hair. She pulled him down to meet his lips.

X

Jaina moaned his name again as his mouth left hers to place wet kisses along her throat and across her collarbone lingering at the pulse points. His mouth moved to the swell of her beast while his hands found their way down her abdomen gently caressing her then finally making their way to the fasteners of her pants. He pushed them over her hips taking her underwear with them as he had with her sweater. She shuddered as his hand caressed the curve of her thigh and hip.

Her breathing came quickly as he shifted to remove her shoes and to pull her pants the rest of the way off. She moaned as he placed kisses along her abdomen till he stopped at her breasts. She moaned again and arched her back as he nibbled on the erect points. His hand roamed up between her thighs, she gasped and tightened her hold on his entangled hair at the sudden forbidden thrill his touch elicited at the juncture. He suddenly moved trailing kisses up from her breast to her mouth. As he deepened the kiss, she relished the spicey taiste of him. When he pulled away completely she moaned in protest and didn't want to let go of him, but she did and she and she watched as he undid his own pants. He stood by the bed and she was mesmerized by him. She could feel his passion flare higher as he took in her nudeness. Their eyes locked then as he pushed his pants off. Her eyes slowly left his to travel down his lean form. When she saw the length of him she smiled wickedly whileshe reached out to take his hand andpulled him back to her.

He positioned himself over her and she wrapped her arms and legs around him. Their gazes met again as their bodies came together. At the feel of their joining Kyp groaned her name. At the same time their minds completely melded. She called out his name as the shock of his unbridled passion hit her. Their bodies moved together as his lips ravaged her lips, her face, her neck, while his free hand expertly caressed her breast. They were carried to heights of passion neither had ever been before, sharing in the pleasure of the other until it was too much. The exploding ecstasy that ripped through them was like a supernova. They called out to each other and clung to the other as if to let go would cause them to fall into an abyss.

Neither of them had ever experienced such joy, such feverish passion before. Kyp laid over her trying to catch his breath. He whispered hoarsely in her ear between ragged breaths, "I love you, Goddess. And I'll never let you go. You are ingrained into my very soul."

She clung to him not wanting him to move, even if the weight of him was causing it harder for her to catch her own breath. She managed to whisper, "You better not ever leave me because I would die. You are my other half. I love you, Kyp, now and forever."

He pulled away from her far enough to look into her brandy eyes. The love she saw in the dark green depths of his and the tear that escaped the corner of one surprised her. She brought her hand from around his neck and gently cupped his face; using her thumb she wiped the tear away.

"I never thought I had a chance with you, Jaina Solo. I've tried for years to convince myself that there wasn't anyway that I could really be in love with you. I told myself that you were too young, that you were my apprentice, and that I was only confused because I cared for you as a friend. I even thought that I could never be in love with you because you are my oldest friend's daughter and are too good to love someone like me." He stroked her cheek and went on, "I tried to convince myself that I only wanted you to be happy and if someone else could then that was enough for me. But it wasn't. I realized that _I_ wanted to be the one to make you happy.

But I was too much of a coward to face you because I couldn't risk losing your friendship. The one time I thought you considered me more than a friend, you rejected me. I couldn't ever face that rejection again. It would kill me, Goddess." Another tear fell from his eye and she gently wiped it away.

"Kyp," her voice about broke with the emotion in it, "I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't ready to make that change in our relationship then. I was afraid, I guess, of what I don't even know. But, I think I've always loved you, maybe that was what I was afraid of."

Kyp moved so that he was lying beside her, propping himself on his elbow to look down into her eyes. He traced a pattern with the back of his fingers on her upper arm. He smiled and finally asked, his voice soft, "Jaina, do you know why I still call you Goddess?" She shook her head. "It's because to me you always have been a goddess. And I have always been the mortal you could never be in love with. Because how could a goddess ever love someone like _me_?" More tears fell unbidden.

Jaina reached up and wiped those tears away as well, her fingers soft as feathers on his face. "But I do, Kyp. I do love you. And I always will."

Kyp moved his hand from her shoulder to her face then stroked her hair. He admired her beauty but it was her soul he truly loved. He knew that long after her hair turned white and her smooth face became wrinkled with age he would love her. "Jaina," the emotion was so thick in his voice he had to swallow and began again, "Jaina, my beautiful Goddess, will you marry me?"

Jaina gazed into the dark green pools of his eyes. He had bared his soul to her and she realized that she loved him more now than she ever thought possible. She gently caressed the tracks his tears had taken wiping them away as if they never were. She had never seen Kyp Durron cry before. And the thought that he was crying for love of her touched her in the deepest recesses of her heart. She whispered, her own voice thick with emotion as her own tears fell, "Yes, I'd be honored to be your wife, Kyp Durron."

Their lips and bodies came together again to seal the promise of a love so deep that it would never be forsaken again, while their tears of joy fell unbidden.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

Kyp awoke to the sound of the comm beeping. He groaned and opened his eyes. And smiled. Jaina's head was lying on his shoulder with her arm across his chest, her hand over his heart. Her long hair was covering his arm that was wrapped around her. Kyp winced as he moved that arm which had gone to sleep. He was trying not to wake her as he dislodged her but she sighed as she began to awaken.

The comm beeped again and despite his best efforts Jaina stirred. She moved which enabled him to fully untangle his arm from her body and her hair. She moaned in protest, "Who could that be? It's too early."

Kyp chuckled and as he threw a robe on he said, "What happened to the hot shot commander who demanded that her pilots be able to go from sound slumber to preflights in less than ten minutes?"

She rolled her eyes at him and yawned as another insistent beep demanded attention. Kyp looked at the chrono by the bed as he turned to walk across the room to the small desk against the opposite wall. "Kriff, it's 0730 already. Bet it's your uncle. I was supposed to meet with him at 0700." He looked back at her on his bed—in clear view of the holocomm. He made sure to position himself directly before it. Before he answered the call he said to Jaina, "Not a sound and don't move." Then as he pushed the receive button he sent through the Force to her, _I really don't think we want your uncle seeing you in my bed dressed only in my sheets._

After the flickering blue tinged image appeared, Kyp greeted his former Master, his tone and expression both impassive, "Master Skywalker."

The six inch image of the Grand Master's head and upper tarsal presented a demanding presence. The tiny piercing blue eyes looked at Kyp and said, his tone somewhat disapproving, "We were supposed to be having a meeting to go over the information from your mission, Kyp. Don't tell me that I got you out of bed."

Kyp swallowed. _How am I going to explain this?_ "I'm sorry, Master Skywalker, but I didn't leave the office till late and then I had something come up." Just then Jaina gave a quickly stifled giggle. If Luke heard her he made no issue of it.

Jaina sent a nudge through the Force that sent a shiver though him. He had to concentrate to keep his voice and expression impassive. He sent back to her, _Jaina, stop it. This is important._

"Well, as long as you have the data the Chief-of-State wanted you to uncover. Chief Omas requested you for this mission specifically, Kyp." Kyp couldn't help but hear the disappointment in his Master's voice. "With what Talon Karrde has provided, Intelligence is anxious see what you discovered."

Kyp stood up straighter and his voice took on a hard edge with a touch of the old defiance he used with _Master_ Skywalker, "Do not worry, Master Skywalker. I will not disappoint you." He added silently to himself, _I have a real reason not to now and I won't disappoint her._ He said aloud, "I'll be there within the hour and yes, I have the information Omas wants. In fact, I think I have enough for Intel to crack this case." He couldn't keep the pride out of his voice.

Luke seemed satisfied with this and nodded, "Okay, I'll be waiting for you. I really hope that you do, Kyp. It is important to get to the bottom of this new wave of pirate activity on the Outer Rim. See you in an hour." Then the image flickered out.

Kyp turned to face the vision on his bed, the old feelings of inadequacy draining away. Jaina tried to stifle another giggle but failed miserably. He said sardonically, "You think you are so funny."

"I'm sorry, Kyp, but I couldn't resist." She laughed harder and Kyp thought it was the most beautiful sound. He walked over to the bed and leaned over to kiss her. She encircled his neck with her arms and entwined her finger in his hair. When she broke the kiss she smiled and quipped as she felt his desire flare, "You better watch yourself or something else may _come up_ and you'll miss your meeting with the Chief-of-State as well."

He couldn't help it, he laughed. "Yeah, and your uncle would love to hear that explanation. I'm sure he would be quite entertained."

She looked at him in mock horror, "Well, I don't think I want to entertain Uncle Luke in such a way."

Kyp hated it but he needed to go. He leaned over her, breathing in her scent and kissed her again. He reluctantly pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers whispering, "Wait for me."

She opened her eyes to meet his and simply answered, "Always."

X

He went into the 'fresher and quickly showered. He came out to get dressed, he had a towel wrapped around his hips and was using another to dry his hair. He stated as he shook out his long wavy curls, "I really need a haircut. I don't know why I always let it get so long."

Jaina had commandeered one of his white long sleeve button shirts to wear. It was way too big for her small frame, but smelled of his scent and she had shuddered when she put it on thinking about it being his. As she heard his voice she turned from where she was making the bed, and stopped her eyes traveling the length of his body. "Oh, Kyp, you really do have one hell of a body." Before he could answer her complement she went on to say, "And I like your hair long. It gives you a roguish air that has always scared me and yet attracted me to you." She walked over to him and saddled into his embrace. She reached up and tangled her fingers into the damp dark curls.

He raised an eyebrow and gave her a crocked grin. "Well, I wouldn't want to give up my rogue persona—especially now that I hobnob with the Chief-of-State." He bent down and kissed her; she deepened the kiss holding him to her lips.

She let him step away from her. She knew she couldn't push him too far. She understood that he needed to leave her to attend his meeting. But she still gave him a playful pout as he removed Jedi robes from the closet and underwear from the dresser.

He shook his head and chuckled as he looked her over, "I really do need to get out of here. Because you look damn sight better in that shirt than I ever did. Goddess, you are way too tempting." Then he winked at her and turned away and sat on the edge of the bed.

She smiled at him and headed to the 'fresher but stopped at the door to watch him as he quickly dressed; a shudder moved through her. _Life with him was definitely going to be any thing but boring. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

By the time Jaina came out of the shower, Kyp was gone. She dressed in the clothes she had worn the night before. When she left Zekk she really had not thought about anything else except getting away. She would go over to the apartment later to pick up the rest of her things. She thought about waiting for Kyp but quickly dismissed that as a bad idea. No need to rub salt into Zekk's already wounded heart. However, she wasn't looking forward to the confrontation and was trying to avoid it as long as possible.

Besides she wasn't sure where she was going to live. As much as she wanted to stay with Kyp, she knew that wasn't a good idea. She really did not care what people thought of her for leaving one man's bed for another, but Kyp would be the one blamed for her sudden change in heart. It always seemed that way even if he had done nothing to encourage her move. For this reason she was more worried for Kyp's reputation than her own. He had worked very hard to polish some of the old tarnish off his image. And actually was becoming a respected member of the Jedi Council. Hobnobbing with the Chief-of-State, indeed. There was a time when he wouldn't even been allowed in the same room with the head of the Galaxy. But she still had no idea where she would stay and may have to stay with him under the pretence of only friendship for a few days.

She looked out the large windows as she sat on the edge of the bed pondering this. They filled the outside wall of the rather sizable bedroom of the apartment. She watched the streaming traffic outside. Coruscant was becoming almost as crowded as it had been before the invasion. The city didn't encompass the entire planet yet but within a few more years it would. Jaina was glad that laws were enacted to guide the rebuilding even if it slowed it down. Despite the destruction and loss of life the Yuuzhan Vong raged on the planet, they had developed several beautiful areas. The Western Sea on the edge of the city was one of Jaina's favorite retreats and the Green Park was a beautiful place of wildlife and vegetation. Not to mention the warmer climate that was caused by the moving of the planet closer to the sun.

The sun was warm as it filled the room from the windows that were on either side of the dresser. The windows had a tinting function and it was set on its mildest. She knew that it would be next to impossible to find another apartment in the growing city. But where would she go? The only other option she had open was to move in with her parents. She sighed, and thought, _But I'm not ready to face them._ And it had nothing to due with Kyp. She felt like she had failed them in the worst way. She had become part of something that caused a war. She had disappointed them in so many ways. She wondered if they could ever forgive her. She wondered what they would say about her sudden engagement to her best friend and the break up with her lover.

She looked around the room and couldn't help but smile. Kyp Durron's bedroom, who would have ever thought she would be pondering sharing this space with _him_? The room was plainly furnished with the bed and side tables taking up the middle of one wall; the desk and comm unit was on the opposite wall; the fresher, closet and doorway leading out was on the remaining wall. The walls were panted a soft almond color and were bare. The comforter was a darker shade of tan and almond stripe. The furnishings were a mix of light wood and panted plastics and metals. She wondered if Kyp, who had spent most of his adulthood in the cockpit of an X-Wing, picked the colors and furnishings. Somehow she could imagine that he did. They seemed to suit him. She set about busying herself with straighten the bedroom and then went out to the living area.

She had been at Kyp's apartment a few times but never really looked around, now his domain interested her like never before. She stepped down the single step from the entryway, which had led to the bedroom and a second smaller 'fresher, into the living area. The area was basked in sun light from the three large windows that made up the outside wall. Along the wall adjacent to the bedroom, was an entertainment center with low shelving on either side. The furnishings were simple: a dark green repulser couch with a low table before it and two old fashioned stuffed chairs in a dark tan at either end of the table. At the other end of the room was a round light wood table with four chairs around it. Again the walls were painted a soft almond tone and were all but bare. She couldn't help but think that Kyp had good taste, but she didn't know why that would surprise her because Kyp had always dressed impeccably. Why would his taste in décor be any different?

She walked into the dining area and looked at he large holo of the Jedi Code. Regardless what people thought, Kyp was proud of being a Jedi and felt that he tried his best to follow the Code. It was a replica of the ones that hung in the Council Members' offices. As her stomach growled she realized that it had been a while since she had eaten. She turned and stepped up into the kitchen—and was suddenly very surprised.

Kyp Durron's kitchen was rather large. It was open to the dining area with a counter island separating the two spaces. The appliances along the wall were state of the art. On the counter beside the caf machine sat a plate with two pastries on it. Under the plate was a piece of flimsy written in the bold, blocky hand she immediately recognized as Kyp's.

Goddess,  
You will never know how happy you have made me last night. I am  
looking forward to our life together. And yes, it will be anything but  
boring.

I love you, I always have and I always will.  
Kyp

She smiled and blushed knowing Kyp must have read her thoughts earlier. She hadn't even sensed his probe. She knew Luke and Mara, and Jacen and Tenel Ka had that kind of bond and the thought that she and Kyp did thrilled her. She folded the scrap of flimsy and placed it into her pocket, it would get her through the rest of the day.

Jaina then poured a mug of caf and picked up the plate of pastries. She headed back into the living room and curled up on the couch. She picked up one of the pastries and looked at it skeptically, she had never seen any like these before but she shrugged and took a bite. The flavor surprised her. It was light and fluffy and had a spicy sweetness to it she recognized as cinnamon a rather rare spice from Chandrila. She wondered where Kyp had found such a delightful creation. She ate the other one and then sat the plate down to pick up her mug.

She sat the mug down again after taking a sip of the hot, dark liquid and looked up at the wall. On either side of the entertainment center above the shelving were the emblems of the Twin Suns and Kyp's Dozen Squadrons. She couldn't help but to be transported back to her youth and to the war that stole it away from her.

She looked at he emblem of Kyp's Dozen and remembered the time before the first contacts, before Chewy died at Sernpidal, before Kyp lost his entire squad in the first battle including his first apprentice, before the destruction and the horror that brought about the death of Anakin and before her fall to the Dark. She remembered the sixteen year old girl that bragged to the Jedi Master Kyp Durron about beating his record at Lando's Folly and how she felt when he looked her over from head to toe. And she remembered the thoughts that she had about how handsome he really was.

She then looked at the emblem of her squadron, The Twin Suns and shuddered at a sudden thought. How obvious the reason seemed now that a young, up and coming Colonel and an experienced Jedi Master would willingly put themselves under the command of an inexperienced lieutenant who was only a Jedi Apprentice and who had to be treated like a goddess. She smiled and wondered how many others had figured out the reason why they would do that.

She looked back down at the mug and reached to pick it up when her eye caught a worn old holocube. She moved and picked it up instead, her interest piqued. She turned it over in her hand and then hit the activate switch. The first image totally astonished her.

She found herself staring at the image of a three year old girl with dark brown hair and eyes with her pudgy arms tightly around the neck of a startled seventeen year old black haired, green eyed boy. She was surprised that Kyp Durron would possess holos of her when her own mother didn't have very many. They had been destroyed in the destruction of Coruscant. She chuckled and went to the next holo. This one was of a six year old Jaina riding the shoulders of Kyp with her arms splayed wide. She remembered the image and the events around it. She had coerced him into playing X-Wing with her. She had felt so tall there on his strong shoulders. The other holo was of the first Jedi class of Yavin Four. Then there was one of Miko Reglia, Kyp's first apprentice who was the first Jedi victim of the Yuuzhan Vong. The next one was taken at Borleias and pictured her sandwiched between Jag Fel and Kyp. The last one pictured Jaina sandwiched between her two Masters at her Knighting Ceremony. Mara Jade Skywalker had her arm wrapped tightly around her waist while Kyp lightly rested his hand on her shoulder. She remembered the pride and tenderness in that touch from him and thought it as being odd at the time. Now she completely understood— he had loved her.

She hit the switch that would allow the images to cycle through and sat it back on the table. She picked up the cold cup of caf and drank its contents without really tasting it as she watched the flickering images cycle through twice. She remembered these times and others with Kyp and made a startling discovery. _I have always loved him. That's why when he betrayed my trust it hurt so much. That's why I never wanted him to leave me. How could I have missed it? Zekk was right, he and Jag were both substitutes for the man I really wanted but never thought I could._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

Kyp made his way to the Jedi Temple which had been built over the ruins of the ancient Temple of the past that had been destroyed nearly sixty years prior. The new structure was roughly a reproduction of the old one but not as large since the Academy was on Ossus and not at the Temple. The design was taken from memories of people who remembered the original structure and from the footprint that was uncovered beneath the rubble. The inside though was a modern office building with conference rooms, training areas and living quarters for visiting Jedi from Ossus or elsewhere. And of course, the Jedi Council Chamber was at the pinnacle of the building.

Kyp stopped at his office which was on the tenth floor of the building to drop off his cape and to pick up the data chips he had copied for the meeting; then he headed down the hall to the large conference room at the end of the hall. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He knew what he was about to tell the Chief-of-State and Intelligence could very well lead to yet another Galactic war. One the Galaxy really could not afford. One he and Jaina could not afford. They were both too tired to keep on fighting and if he lost her now to war…

He shook his head to clear the thought from his mind. His only priority right now was to provide the information that if acted upon quickly could prevent the trouble from escalating to full blown war. He had to hope the government would do that and not sit on the information until it was too late.

Kyp entered the spacious room greeting Masters Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker with a nod and took a seat in the center of the round dark wood table that took up most of the space. The large windows allowed the midmorning sun in to brighten the space but did nothing at warming the atmosphere. Kyp realized when he met Mara's emerald eyes that the Grand Master and his wife were not happy at not having any advance knowledge of the information before the government got hold of it.

"Um—I'm sorry about this morning. A friend needed my assistance last night. I didn't mean to sleep in this morning," Kyp offered as way of explanation.

Mara's gaze became more piercing as she narrowed her eyes, "This friend in sudden need just wouldn't happen to be female, would it, Durron?"

Kyp looked at Mara and smugly smiled, thinking, _You would be surprised if you knew just who_. Aloud he only allowed, "I believe that is my business, Jade."

"Not when it affects the mission of the Jedi," she countered.

Luke finally put an end to the discussion by laying his hand on the smooth wood tabletop and interjecting, "The point is that you missed the meeting, Kyp, and you should know how important this new threat is." He met Kyp's gaze and continued, "I don't have a good feeling about this. Not that I would keep anything from the government, but if it involves the Jedi I want to know."

Kyp was thankful when the door slid open and the young human male administrative assistant announced the arrival of the Chief-of-State Cal Omas, Tame Mixel the Sullustan director of Intelligence and Quu L'Nox the human assistant director of Military Intel. He took a deep breath and stood, greeting the head of state and the heads of Intelligence.

After the pleasantries were through Cal Omas said, "Well, Master Durron, what have you discovered from your anti-smuggling friends?"

Kyp remained standing as the rest sat and began by passing out the data chips he had copied. He waited until everyone had theirs plugged into a reader before starting, "The Outer Rim from former Hutt Space to as far as the Corellian Spice Spine is systematically being bottled up by a very large and very secretive pirate organization. It seems that they have the credits and/or the fire power to coerce smaller groups into joining their ranks. Even governments are not infallible. Tatooine's new democratic system is being taken over by representatives who are favorable to the Moorex Pirates. Giving them shipping privileges they shouldn't have because they are an illegal entity." Kyp paused and took a sip of the water from the glass before him. He never shied from speaking before a group of people but he didn't relish speaking to the Chief-of-State.

Omas took this break to state, "This is information we already received from Talon Karrde, Master Durron."

Kyp couldn't help but hear the frustration in the older man's voice. Kyp also knew the Alderaanian Cal Omas cared very little for him. He nodded and continued his voice showing none of his own frustration. "I'm sorry if that wasn't new information. But I believe this is. My sources point to a Naboo banking firm as being a financier of the Moorex and the base from which they are working out of appears to on Geonosis."

"Geonosis?" Tame Maxel repeated surprise evident in his voice.

"Yes," Kyp touched the buttons on the datareader before him and above the table appeared a hologram of the planet Geonosis. He went on to say, "I took this data from my astromech droid. As you can see for a planet that is supposed to be desolate and nearly abandoned there is a great deal of activity." The holo showed hundreds of ships varying from starfighters and small frigates to large battleship size.

"Kyp, what does this mean? Who is in charge of this gang of pirates?" Luke couldn't take his eyes from the flicking image but met Kyp's gaze when he began to speak.

"What it means, Master Skywalker, is that this is no ordinary gang of thugs and thieves. This group is becoming highly placed in the governments of the Outer Rim and being financed by them. The source of mine on Naboo related that he believed the Moorex are interested in Geonosis because of the droid and weapon factories that are still there."

"From the Clone Wars?" Mara's stunned words filled the room. "But I thought Paplatine destroyed the factories."

"Apparently, not well enough. My sources indicate that the leader of the Pirates, a cyborg by the name of Marolosa, has reestablished the place and has decided to build and equip an army."

Luke looked at Kyp and quietly said, "Is that the same Marolosa that you killed twelve years ago?"

Kyp turned his attention to the Jedi Master, "Yes, I guess that is how he became a cyborg. When I hit his ship and it exploded, he somehow survived well enough to be rebuilt."

The meeting concluded and Kyp felt the weight his information placed on the members of it. Speculations of what the Moorex Pirates under the leadership of the smuggling kingpin Marolosa were up to expounded and Kyp wondered what Cal Omas would do with the information.

As Kyp picked up his datacards after saying his farewells to the government officials, Luke came over and laid his hand on the younger man's shoulder, "Kyp, I just wanted you to know that you did good work on this mission."

Kyp looked astonished and stammered, "Thank you, Master Skywalker." Then he was left alone as Luke and Mara left the conference room.

X

Kyp was headed back to his office desperately trying to put the memory of the meeting behind him when an idea blossomed in his mind. He knew Jaina was planning to spend that night with him and he smiled. He had long fantasized about what he would do if she ever did come to him. Now he could put some of that plan into motion. Entering his office he grabbed his cape from the hook by the door and headed for the administrative assistants' open office by the turbolift.

There he turned to the mildly Force-sensitive blond, blue-eyed Hapen male and gave him instructions concerning his absence. Then with a swish of his cape he turned to the lift and was gone. Leaving Ma'lil wondering what inspired Master Durron to give him instructions concerning comm calls from Jaina Solo being forwarded to his personal commlink. Because one thing was sure Master Durron never left instructions on how to find him. He shook his head thinking, _Jedi Masters, who can figure them out?_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 **

Kyp sensed the anger before the turbolift even stopped at the tenth floor of the Temple as he returned from his errand. Kyp stretched out his feelings and instantly frowned, his good humor completely gone. He stepped out of the lift and as soon as Ma'lil saw him he rounded the half wall that separated him from the lobby and gushed, "Master Durron, I tried to stop him but he wouldn't even listen to me. He entered your office saying that he'd wait for you. I tried to tell him that I didn't know if you would return today." He swallowed and added, "I'm sorry," but not really knowing why he was.

"Don't worry about it," Kyp said without looking at him. Then he turned and asked, "Is Master Luke Skywalker here?"

"Yes, he's meeting with Master and Valin Horn."

"Good. Please have him come to my office. But," Kyp put warning into his tone, "don't tell him who is here. Just tell him that I need assistance immediately—" The boy took a step away but stopped as Kyp added, "and to come alone. Understood?" The last thing he needed now was an audience of the Horns, no matter how much he liked Valin despite who his father was.

"Yes, Master Durron," he nodded and was gone in the direction of the Grand Master's office, while Kyp headed in the opposite direction to his own.

Before he got to the door, he took a deep calming breath. He knew this confrontation was coming. He just wasn't looking forward to it. He liked the young man inside his office despite the situation. Kyp suddenly was amazed at how many similarities they really had between them.

The door to the office was open and Kyp walked in to find Zekk standing staring at the holo of the Jedi. In the picture Jaina was standing between Jacen and Kyp with her arms around the waists of both men.

"You couldn't stay away, could you, Durron?" Zekk said without turning. "You just couldn't leave her alone even though you will never deserve her." He turned, angry green eyes meeting Kyp's, "What did you do to her? Did you seduce her and prey upon her blind friendship? Or did you just brainwash her?"

Kyp could feel the young Jedi's pain, jealously and anger, but he wouldn't allow Zekk to degrade Kyp's love for Jaina. He needed to defend himself. "She came to me of her own free will. I've never did anything to encourage her. I accepted that she loved someone else and that she made her choice. I've lived with that for a long time, Zekk. Trust me, if it would have been that easy to seduce Jaina Solo, I would have a long time ago and got her from Fel. By now she and I would be married and have a passel of little Durrons running around terrorizing the Jedi Order." Smugness crept into his voice despite his best efforts.

That was the breaking point for Zekk. He moved so fast that Kyp wouldn't have had any warning at all if it hadn't been for the snap-hiss of Zekk's lightsaber igniting. Kyp barely got his off his belt and ignited to parry Zekk's wicked slash.

Kyp could feel the anger rolling around the younger Jedi and could sense the Darkness building within Zekk. Zekk pressed on this time with a lunge. Kyp defended that attack as well. Zekk's next strike narrowly missed Kyp's legs as he leaped over the slash, it too low to parry. The chair before the desk was left in two smoking halves.

"Zekk! What are you doing?" The voice of Master Skywalker rang above the humming and thunderous hissing clashes of the sabers.

"This does not concern you Master Skywalker," Zekk said, his voice dangerously low. Anger and Dark energy nearly crackled around him as he lunged again at Kyp.

X

Luke stepped further into the office closing the door behind him. He watched as Kyp leaped onto his desk, defending yet another wicked lounge. Zekk then sliced through the wood and metal of the desk, Kyp barely missing the strike by leaping over the Jedi. The desk was left destroyed. Zekk turned a feral snarl on his face. Luke could clearly see Kyp was the one being attacked. The Grand Master had a sinking feeling his niece was behind the reason.

"Zekk, you need to stop this before you do something you'll never forgive yourself for. Turning to the Dark Side won't solve anything." Zekk paused just long enough for Luke to press on, "If you kill Kyp it will only scar you and won't change what happened."

Zekk looked at his master and began to lower the lightsaber. Luke took this opportunity to slowly walk toward him, his hands out as if he was walking up to an unpredictable wild animal. "Zekk, put away the saber," his voice was gentle and soothing but full of the Force.

After several moments, Zekk began to tremble and the saber dropped from his hand, turning off as it fell. Zekk looked at his master and tears formed in his eyes. He coved his face and began to sob.

Luke looked at Kyp who finally closed down his own blade and stepped back further away from Zekk. It was better if Luke handled this and both masters knew it.

"Master Skywalker—"Zekk let out a sob. "I'm sorry. I—" He swallowed hard and removed his hands from his face, his tears freely falling. "I don't know what came over me. It's just that the more I thought of them together the more hurt and angrier I became."

Luke looked questioningly to Kyp, "What is he talking about, Kyp?"

X

Kyp frowned and busied his hands and eyes by clipping his lightsaber onto his belt. He didn't want to meet Luke's intense blue gaze. "Jaina came to me last night." He looked over at Zekk who was wiping his nose on his long sleeve. The young Jedi looked a mess and for the first time Kyp smelled the Corellian whisky.

Before Kyp could explain more, Zekk pointed to Kyp and simply replied, "She left me for him. She told me that she loved him and that she never really loved me." He left out an anguished sob and slid along the shelving to sit on the floor. He covered his face and sobbed.

Luke's face was a mask of questions as he looked at Kyp, but he said nothing. He only crouched down beside Zekk, laying a supportive hand on his shoulder.

Zekk removed his trembling hands and looked into Luke's eyes. "I don't know what happened." He then looked up at Kyp, the angry fire replaced with only the pain of a broken heart and the horror of what he almost did. "I couldn't stop thinking about you and her. It drove me crazy. I know she has always loved you. Even during the war when she was supposed to be with Fel. He and I were substitutes for you because she thought you didn't want her or she shouldn't want you. It about killed me to see the two of you together. She and I were never like that." Zekk swallowed and drew his legs up and laid his arms on his knees. He looked at his empty palms and said very quietly, "She would dream of you and call out your name. She did that since we were first together. At first I told myself she was remembering the war. But when I linked with her one night because I needed to know. I couldn't stand it any more." He looked up at Kyp, and Kyp nearly had to look away from the pain that lay within the emerald depths. "I wish I never would have because she was dreaming of kissing you." He closed his eyes and took a shattered breath.

Luke looked up at Kyp while he stared down at the young Jedi, stunned. Kyp crouched down and said his voice soft, "Zekk, I've loved Jaina for over ten years. I only once made a move toward her. And she slapped me and told me that I went too far. It was after she and Jag broke up. I kissed her. But the slap she gave me pretty much told me she wasn't interested in me. So, I left. I made sure Jaina Solo and I were never in close quarters again."

Luke, watching with great interest, asked, "What changed?"

Kyp looked over at him; he had expected to see disapproval in the Master's eyes but there was only understanding. He then turned back to Zekk, "I was miserable. I needed to at least be her friend. When I found out she went off to the Unknown Regions it scared me to death. That's why I went after her."

"Do you love her?" Luke asked.

Kyp turned towards him and sighed, "As hard as it is for anyone to believe that I'm capable of the feeling, yes, Luke, I love her. But I accepted she would never be mine. I even considered it my punishment for the things that I've done. That she would only be my best friend but never anything else. I knew if I truly loved her I could be her friend and be happy with that or at least I could try."

He turned his attention back to Zekk, "When she came to me last night I thought I was dreaming." He reached out to touch the younger man's forearm. "I'm sorry, Zekk, that you had to get hurt, I was your friend. I never wanted you to be hurt. If you love Jaina half as much as I do, I can only imagine how I'd feel if—"

Zekk suddenly stood throwing off Kyp's attempt to show empathy for the pain he inadvertently caused him for being in love with the same woman. "I don't need your pity, Durron." Kyp and Luke stood at the same time.

Luke opened his mouth to say something but before he could Zekk brushed by and said, "I'm leaving and going to Zonama Sekot. At least I hope I still have a real friend there." At the door he turned and added, "Don't bother inviting me to the wedding, _friend_." Then he was gone.

X

Kyp sighed and moved to sit heavily in the chair behind the damaged desk. Luke stood before it and let out a breath. "She was with you this morning," it was a statement not a question. "That's why you missed our meeting."

Kyp met the older man's eyes, "Yes, she was with me last night."

"Is she moving in with you?"

"No, I'm going to convince her to move in with her parents." Kyp then turned around, his shoulders slumped he looked at the holo of the Jedi Code above his desk. "I never meant to hurt anyone. I quietly loved Jaina and appointed myself her savior and sometimes conscience and she became mine. I couldn't let her fall to the Darkness like I did, nor could I let her flounder in a world where she felt no one but Zekk loved her." He turned his head to look over his shoulder at Luke then turned back to the holo without seeing it.

Silence stretched between them and was finally broken by Luke, "I know that you love Jaina. I've known it for sometime. I've even speculated that it was that love for her that changed you."

Kyp turned his chair around to see Luke smiling at him. "You approve?"

"That's not my decision." Luke's boyish smile never wavered as he went on to say, "I married a woman who not only tried to kill me but nearly half of the New Republic disapproved of and didn't trust, remember? And now look at Mara. She's a GFFA hero." He paused then added possibly something akin to pride in his voice, "Not so unlike yourself despite your past."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Jaina rang the door bell but when, after several moments, no one came she opened to the Force and probed the inside for his presence. The small midlevel apartment was empty. She keyed the code that would unlock the door and it slid open.

Jaina walked in and the lights came on with her movement. And she stopped to stare at the destruction that had once been her home. The furniture and anything they owned together was lying in piles—destroyed by a lightsaber. Her personal belongings were lying in a separate pile by the door. She suddenly was frightened. She could feel the pain and anger that still lingered in the small living area of the apartment. She headed across the room toward the bedroom, stepping over the broken pottery that had once been their dishware. She stepped through the door and gasped.

The bed that she had shared with Zekk was destroyed almost beyond recognition. The dresser was hacked into four pieces. The only surviving furniture in the room was the bed side table and a chair from the dining area. They were placed before the apartment's only small window and a glass sat on the table top. As she looked around she caught sight of the door of the 'fresher and saw the impact marks of an object thrown at an incredible force. On the floor splayed out for several meters were the remains of a Corellian whisky bottle, but there were no sign of the dark amber liquid on the light colored carpet. She knew the bottle had been new and never opened, but when it hit the door it had been empty.

Jaina let out an anguished sob, "Oh, Zekk, I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. Sweet Force, what have I done to you?" She couldn't take the sight of the bedroom any longer. The closet doors were all open and were completely bare. All of Zekk's things were gone and hers lay by the outer door in a disheveled heap.

She went back out to the living room and found among her things an expandable duffle. She quickly began packing her few items of clothing, toiletries and the few holocubes she owned into the bag. When that was done she stood and looked around again as tears wetted her cheeks. She hoped Zekk was alright and hadn't let his anger and pain turn him into something she would never forgive herself for.

Using the Force to help her carry the load of the bag she headed back to the garage bay and to Kyp's speeder.

X

Kyp called Jaina later that afternoon to check up on her especially after the fight with Zekk. Jaina related to him what she discovered at the apartment when she went to pick up her things. Kyp highlighted his confrontation with Zekk and reassured her that Luke was able to defuse the anger that was within him at least from being dangerous.

"Kyp, he will be alright, won't he?" She couldn't keep the fear from her voice. "Zekk has always been so afraid of the Dark Side. What if I caused him to—"

"Jaina, I think he'll be okay. He's hurt and—," Kyp paused to find the right words, "feels betrayed not just by you but by me too. I was supposed to be his friend too. He said he was going to Zonoma Sekot. Danni is still there isn't she?"

"Yes, she is. They have been friends since the end of the war. I hope she can help him. I know they became close friends after she and Jacen broke up." Jaina sincerely hoped the young beautiful green-eyed, blond scientist could ease Zekk's broken heart. Tahiri was also back there and she was as much a friend to Zekk as Danni.

After a pause, Jaina swallowed and changed the subject, "So, when will you be home?"

Kyp laughed, "Getting bossy already, Goddess?"

"Well, I do believe it is my right to know where my mortal is at all times." She teased if only to get her mind off the situation with Zekk.

She could imagine Kyp raising his eyebrow and grinning sarcastically, "You know, keep that up and I'll spend the night at the office."

She laughed, "Yeah, like you could stay away." She then opened herself up to the Force and easily found him then sent a very seductive memory from the night before.

"Jaina!" Kyp's voice became huskier as the memory played out in his mind, "You're torturing me, stop."

She laughed and said seductively, "If you stay away, I'll send you even more memories from last night. I think you'd find your way home."

"Mmm," he then went on to say, "Dress up tonight. We'll figure out where you will live tomorrow, but tonight is ours." His voice pitched even lower which completely melted her, "I have a surprise in store for you tonight."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Jaina could hardly wait to find out what he had "in store" for her that night. She had dressed in a sleeveless, short black dress that she had since before her time in the Unknown Regions. She looked at herself in the mirror of the dresser and signed. The dress was about five years out of fashion. Looser styles with longer skirts were now in vogue. And she subconsciously found herself pulling on the tight short skirt. She really hoped Kyp wasn't planning on taking her anywhere. She also wished she had more than two dresses to her name. The other one was hanging on the hook of the closet door. She turned to look at it and thought that she should change into that one. But she couldn't bring herself to wear that dress. Not with Kyp. Not now. She had bought it just three months ago before Jacen's wedding. It had cost her a small fortune, more than she and Zekk could afford, but she had wanted a new dress to wear to the diner she had taken Zekk out to for his lifeday and for her trip to Hapes. She suddenly wondered if she could ever bring herself to wear that dress with Kyp. It just felt wrong.

She went back into the 'fresher and began to brush her hair. She pulled it to one side and used a silver comb Mara had gifted to her a few years ago to hold her hair in place. She applied a small amount of makeup and frowned. She never liked to fuss. She was a fighter pilot at heart. Then she remembered something Kyp had told her years ago when they were—_what were we doing?—__dating?_ after she broke up with Jag.

_"Few women have the privilege of being so beautiful that they never need to wear makeup, Goddess. In fact I only know of three, you, your mother and Tenel Ka D'jo."_

She laid the applicator down and smiled at the memory. She had responded with a flippant remark after, she was sure, turning a deep red from the complement. Kyp's complements had always had that reaction in her. She was surprised that even the memory brought her cheeks up a shade more pink.

She heard the outer door slide open and smiled and quickly put the things she had out away. She came out of the hallway and stepped down into the living room to find Kyp putting down packages on the island counter of the kitchen.

He turned and she could tell he had his breath taken away. She blushed as he looked her over. The dress, despite being out of style, did complement her, its tightness and matte finish highlighting her figure, while its simplicity didn't distract from her natural beauty.

He slowly recovered and said as he walked over to her, "You are a vision, Goddess." He enveloped her into an embrace and gently kissed her. She moaned as he deepened the kiss, ravaging her mouth. She shuddered at the spicy taste of him. The need for air finally ended it, but its passion left her trembling.

Finally, he pulled away from her and said his voice husky with passion, "You are the most beautiful woman in the Galaxy. Do you realize that? No wonder half the Galaxy is in love with you."

She blushed and then lowered her gaze, the passion fleeting as she thought of the other person in love with her. "Sometimes I don't feel very beautiful. I feel terrible for what I did to Zekk. He didn't deserve that." She looked up at him and added, "I love you and always will, Kyp. But Zekk and I were friends since we were kids. I know that he has loved me since then and I deliberately broke his heart.

"He attacked you, Kyp," a tear escaped from the corner of her eye. "If he would have killed you and his turn to Darkness would have been because of me. I couldn't go on—I would've—" She fell into his arms and sobbed. He hugged her close and whispered into her hair words she couldn't hear or understand over her sobbing. His passion completely replaced by his unconditional love.

X

There was no jealousy in Kyp at the pain Jaina felt. He understood that she loved him and that she only felt miserable for breaking her friend's heart so that hers could be free to love.

She sobbed for several moments then pulled away leaving his chest damp. She blushed as she looked into his eyes and stammered, "I—I'm sorry." She hiccoughed and went on to say, "You must be thinking that I'm crazy. But thank you for understanding and not—" She wasn't sure how to finish and lowered her head.

"For not being upset or jealous." He smiled and lifted her chin with his finger to meet his gaze again. "Jaina, my beautiful Goddess, this is one of the many reasons that I love you so much, don't you understand? If you felt no remorse over Zekk, I'd be more concerned. Because the Jaina Solo I fell in love with all those years ago didn't want to hurt anyone. She only wanted to save the Galaxy and those she loved from pain, remember? Even if it meant risk to her own neck. You haven't changed all that much over the years, you know?"

"Oh, Kyp," she smiled and hugged him tighter, laying her cheek on his chest. "I love you."

"I know," he lowered his chin until it rested on top of her head and held her close for another few moments. He then pulled away and grinned, "Now, about that surprise I promised you."

She looked up at him expectantly. "Remember the other day when you said that you wanted swept off your feet?"

She nodded and smiled.

"Well, I plan to do just that." He moved away from her and headed for the bedroom. At the step up to the hallway he turned and winked at her saying, "And no peeking into those packages."

She laughed, "What would make you think I'd do that?"

"Because I know you, Miss Snoop." He called her by the name he coined for her when she was six years old.

"That was a long, long time ago, Kyppie," her childhood nickname for him caused his smile to broaden. "And how was I to know that package was for me. You told me it was for Jacen and I already knew he had one. I thought Dad had gotten him two presents and I wanted to know what they were. Because, I hadn't gotten one yet." She stamped her foot in perfect imitation of her six-year-old self. Both she and Kyp laughed as they remembered her and Jacen's sixth lifeday.

Kyp still laughing headed to the bedroom. After she thought he was gone she immediately turned towards the kitchen and the packages. Kyp's renewed laughter startled her. "I knew it!"

She turned red-faced and pouted. Then she smiled, "Guilty." She went and sat on the couch and said, "Don't worry, I won't look."

He shook his head and retreated around the corner, excitement filling him.

X

Fifteen minutes later he emerged freshly showered and sharply dressed. Jaina looked up form the datareader she was flipping through and let out a low whistle that brought a faint blush to his cheeks. His damp hair was pulled back and tied at his nape, but rebellious shorter wavy curls framed his strong face and fell over his forehead, naturally parting just off center. The sharp lines of his face were cleanly shaven. The burgundy shirt he wore contrasted nicely with his green eyes and dark hair. He roguishly kept the top three buttons open and the long sleeves were rolled up to just below his elbows. The black jeans that completed his clothing were just a little too tight. His feet were bare which completely thrilled her.

He held out his hands while he raised an eyebrow and grinned as he watched her come around the couch. "So, Goddess, I guess you approve of your mortal."

She swallowed hard and stepped into his arms and leaned against him as she put her arms around his neck. She pulled him down breathing in his spicy scent from the aftershave that she had always known him to wear and seductively whispered, "I suddenly could care less what's in those packages. I only want you. Force, Kyp, you could make me drool. You may think I'm beautiful, but do you honestly know how kriffin' handsome you are?"

X

His answer was a grin and then she kissed him. She had just made him very pleased. He broke the kiss when he felt her desire building as she put her hands on his chest. Pulling away slightly he chuckled and shook his head, "Nope, none of that until I achieve my goal." He released her and moved towards the kitchen, he caught her pout as he moved past her. He turned before stepping up into the kitchen and winked at her, "Besides, I'm hungry. Mortals can't live on love alone, Goddess."

She could only follow her curiosity completely taking over her desire as she wondered what Kyp Durron was possibly going to do in the kitchen.

He opened one of the packages and pulled out a sealed vase with two dark lavender roses in it. He peeled off the protective covering and the air was almost immediately perfumed with the scent of Hapen roses. He then sat them on the table. As he stepped back into the kitchen, Jaina went to the table and leaned over to breathe in the sweet musky fragrance. Kyp watched her as she opened her eyes and turned toward him.

"You knew they are my favorites." He nodded as he placed two candles he had bought on the counter.

He pulled from a counter drawer a lighter and lit them. He lowered the living area lights and came around to set the candles on the table next to the roses. He watched as Jaina was bathed in the soft gentle glow of the old fashioned flame candles.

"Yeah, I knew," he said softly. Then as he moved once more into the kitchen he added, "I'm also going to prepare for you one of your favorite dishes." Then he began to remove food items from the other package.

She looked at him questioningly as she came up into the kitchen, "You can cook?"

"Of course, I'm a bachelor, remember? And I love good food. Comes from practically starving to death as a kid and living off military rations," he said as he grabbed a pan off the side wall and began melting blue butter. After the butter was melted and hot he opened the package of fresh shell-less Mon Calamari claims. He dumped them into the hot butter and began to sauté them.

She watched him as he daftly removed the claims after cooking them for a few minutes and began making the blue cream sauce that would smother the claims. In another pan he began steaming mixed wild grains and Corellian spices. The smells were delightful. Next he steamed the mixed yellow, green and purple vegetables. When they were done he sprinkled them with more of the spice. The sauce was beginning to thicken over the low heat and he opened the bottle of wine he had gotten and poured a generous amount into the sauce. Then he replaced the claims to let them simmer in the sauce.

She was mesmerized. She could hardly believe this was Kyp. He wasn't finished though, he next began whipping up a frothy chocolate mousse that he put into individual dessert glasses and topped with whipped cream and bassberries. The meal was complete and he went about setting the table.

"Where did you learn to cook like that?" she asked admiration clearly evident.

"Do you remember Haga?"

"From Yavin Four? She was the cook when you were there. She retired right before we got to the Academy, right?"

He nodded and said while placing the utensils on the table, "Yes, she was the cook. She was from Corellia and liked her food spicy but she was a good cook." He stood to admire his handy work and went on to say, "She befriended me when I came back to the Academy after I—after my turn. She taught me the basics and since then I've picked up a bit more." He looked back at her and smiled, "I actually enjoy cooking. Maybe I could teach you someday."

She laughed, "Me, cook? I can't boil water. So, you have to be kidding." He joined in with her laughter as he poured wine into the tall glasses.

Jaina stepped down and moved to the table. She looked at the placement of the utensils, puzzled. He had placed them at the top of the plate instead of on either side as was the usual custom.

"Kyp, who taught you to set a table?"

X

He had stepped back into the kitchen and was dishing out the food onto their plates. He returned with the two heaping plates and set them down. "My mother, why?" he replied taken aback. He had very few memories of his childhood that were happy and setting the table for his mother for the family meals was one of them.

"Well, I thought the utensils went beside the plate."

He pulled her chair out and she sat down, answering, "Oh, that may be so on Alderaan or Corellia but on Deyer in the Durron house, anyway, this is how it was done."

He smiled at the blush her embarrassment brought to her cheeks as he sat down across from her. Then he quickly lost it as he went on to add, "I don't remember much about my home or my family. So, what little I do I've tried to keep." There was a moment of the deep sadness he felt at remembering his first eight years when all that worried him was if Zeth would let him go on the latest adventure with his friends and the occasional freighting sound of the ocean as it hit the pilings that held up his home during one of Deyer's frequent storms.

Finally, he put those memories behind him and focused on the woman he wanted to create a new family with. Picking up his glass he smiled and said, "To us and a life full of love."

She picked hers up and lifted it to his as she gazed into his eyes which in the candlelight appeared almost black. "To us," she smiled and repeated as the glasses clicked together, "and a life full of love."

The wine was an exquisite Naboo vintage that Jaina knew as quite expensive. She noticed Kyp staring at her as she put down the glass after sipping the sweet dry deep red liquid. She gave him a Solo grin and picked up her fork. "This smells delightful, Kyp." She forked one of the blue cream sauce smothered clams and some of the spiced wild grains into her mouth.

Kyp watched as her expression changed from surprise to pleasure as she chewed. After swallowing she looked at him stunned, "This is wonderful!"

Kyp smiled broader, "I'm glad that you like it." Then he picked up his own fork and they ate in delicious silence savoring each others company and the food.

Kyp cleared the plates and brought out the chilled desserts. After sitting down again he poured more wine. After taking a sip of his he said, "Never guess what I found out today."

She swallowed the spoonful of the mousse and looked questioningly but annoyingly at him.

He chuckled, Jaina never liked guessing games. "Valin Horn and Tahiri Veila are engaged."

"What?" She then added, "I knew that they were getting close, but married? What did Corran have to say about that?" She joined in with a chuckle of her own, "His first two Apprentices getting married."

Kyp winked and quipped, "Not as bad as Masters marrying their Apprentices."

Oh, Kyp!" She scolded, "At least you won't be the first. Technically, Aunt Mara was Uncle Luke's Apprentice."

"That's right! Never thought of that!" He ate some of his own mousse and then said, "To answer your question, I think The-Self-Proclaimed-Perfect-Jedi Corran was pretty surprised according to Valin." She rolled her eyes at his jibe at Corran and he gave her mischievous look. "Of course, considering how close your father is to Tahiri, Valin should be more concerned about Han Solo. Know I am." Jaina shook her head and he want on, "I don't know why their relationship is such a surprise to everyone. They were friends since they were kids. And I think people forget Valin is only year younger than her." He drained his glass.

"Yeah, I think it's because Valin got a late start at his apprenticeship because of the Vong War." She took a sip of her wine and then asked, "So, when's the wedding?"

"Valin didn't say, except that it will be on Zonoma Sekot and his dad will officiate."

After they finished the desserts, Kyp stood up and walked to the entertainment unit. There he took a moment to find a music chip he wanted and put it into a reader. As he made his way back across the room the sultry strains of a contemporary musical group filled the air. Kyp held out his hand to her while raising an eyebrow and asked, "May I have this dance, Goddess?"

She looked at him with reservation, "I'm not very good at his kind of dancing."

"I've seen you dance, you are too."

"Only Alderaanian waltzes and such." She stepped into his arms and grinned, "They don't play much of this kind of music," she tilted her head towards the entertainment center, "at State Dinners and Hapan Royal Weddings."

"That's true." He led her into the middle of the space between the table and the living room furniture and began to move to the music while holding her very close. As the music sped up to its climax he spun her into a low dip that took her breath away. After three similar pieces, the next was a slow seductive ballade. Kyp held her close and knew as he felt her heart race against his chest she was lost in the song.  
The music stopped and before the next could start, Kyp used the Force to turn the reader off. Jaina lifted her head off his chest and looked up at him. The look of love in her brandy eyes nearly melted him. And he smiled and huskily said, "I have yet one more surprise for you, Goddess." He then moved away from her and headed toward the bedroom. She moved to the couch and sat down. He returned and sat down beside her, handing her a small black jewelry box tied with a silver sateen ribbon.

She looked up at him expectantly and he said before she could ask, "You will never know how you made me feel last night when you said yes to my proposal of marriage. I wanted to give you something the shows you, at least in some small way, what you mean to me. No amount of credits or the largest gem could ever compare, but—" he swallowed the lump in his throat and went on his green eyes glazed with emotion. "I had this made for you today to symbolize our promise."

Jaina's hand trembled as she took the box from him and she gasped after opening it. On the black velvet interior laid a necklace depicting two crossed amethyst lightsabers. She picked up the delicate necklace and watched as the light played off the crushed stones that made up the blades and the diamond in the center. The hilts were silver and an elegant "J" was on one with "K" on the other. Even the chain was a beautiful intertwined work of silver links. She turned her gaze to him and stammered her voice low, "Oh, Kyp, it's beautiful." She reached over and hugged him placing a gentle kiss on his lips. Before he could deepen it she pulled away to look at it again.

"I thought you'd like it," he said as he rested his elbow on the back of the couch and rested his head against his hand. He watched her as she turned the sabers over in her hand. He went on to say, "I wanted something that represents us and our special bond as Jedi." She looked up at him. "The diamond in the middle stands for love, longevity and strength. The chain represents how our lives are interwoven."

She stared at him agape and finally said, "Kyp, that's beautiful." Then a delighted smile lit up her face, "You are such a romantic."

He couldn't keep the slight blush from his cheeks. "Well, I didn't think that all up myself, I have to admit. The artist at the store took my ideas and created this."

She could only stare at him then abruptly she handed him the necklace and turned around. She lifted her hair and he gently put the chain around her slender neck. He clasped it and was pleased at the shudder the touch of his fingers as they brushed her skin caused to run through her. He bent and replaced his fingers with his lips. He peppered kisses from her nape to her ear, and then whispered causing her to shiver again, "I love you, Goddess."

She moaned and turned while he drew her closer. Their lips met in a passion filled kiss that left them both breathless. Kyp stood taking Jaina with him and carried her to the bedroom. He laid her on the bed. Then he bent over her and as he gazed into her deep brandy eyes he whispered, "Well, Goddess, did I succeed? Did your mortal knight sweep you off your feet?"

A tear escaped her eyes while she smiled so beautifully Kyp thought he'd melt. Her answer was a choked emotion filled, "Yes."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 **

Later they lay together in each others arms, their passion sated. An intimate silence passed between them where the only sounds were the beating of their hearts and their breathing. Kyp finally unwillingly broke the magic by softly saying, "I don't think it would be a good idea for you to move in with me. At least not right away."

Jaina propped herself up on his chest by putting her chin on her folded hands. She looked into his eyes and replied, "I know. But I can't go back to the apartment I shared with Zekk. I'll need to have it cleaned and get out of the lease—" she let her voice trail off.

"Jaina, it isn't because I don't want you here. Kriff, I'd marry you now if we could. But, I think you should spend some time with your family, especially your parents."

She frowned and turned her head away from him. Kyp shifted causing her to sit up, pulling the sheet around her. He sat up beside her and lifted her face by gently cupping her face in his hands. But she kept her eyes downward.

"Goddess, they love you." He had to bend his head and look up into her sad eyes.

"How could they still love me, Kyp? I'm such a disappointment to them," she quietly said.

Kyp straightened, "Jaina, honey, look at me," his tone was gentle but commanding. She could only obey. Only once their eyes met did Kyp go on, "I know that they love you and that they are concerned about you. Your father and mother both have contacted me to find out how you've been doing. They don't blame you for what happened, nor are they disappointed. Jaina, you were tricked. You were under the control of something that could have taken any of us."

"But it didn't, Kyp. I wasn't strong enough to resist and because of me, Zekk, Jacen and the others a war happened. A war in which many Chiss and Alliance personnel lost their lives. A war in which Jag and Lowie were almost killed and Alema was killed. A war that may have done something terrible to Ben and—" her voice broke and she sobbed.

He pulled her into his arms and held her. The guilt Jaina felt wasn't anything new to Kyp. He had been helping her with it since she came back. Well, he was helping her and Zekk when the younger man would let him. After a few moments he held her away and she looked up at him, her tears silently falling. He cupped her face and wiped the tears away.

"Jaya, you need to come to terms with this just as you did with the betrayal you felt over Jacen. No one blames you and you shouldn't blame yourself. Yes, several people lost their lives. But that war would have happened regardless of your participation. Rayner Thul, Welk and Lomi Plo tricked the Killiks into thinking they could beat the Chiss if Jedi joined the Hive mind. Thul used his knowledge of you and the bond you had shared at Myrkr to convince you that you were doing the right thing."

He paused to let his words hit home then continued. "As hard as it is to think otherwise, you must trust the Force, Jaina. That mess happened for a reason. Yes, Jedi were killed as were others but Welk and Lomi Plo were defeated which was good. She was beyond help. She had become more bug than human. And because the Alliance and the Jedi came to the aid of the Chiss they have officially joined the GFFA."

"I know all this, Kyp, but I should have been strong enough to resist—"

He placed a finger over her lips to stop the flow of words. "The Killiks still would have attacked the Chiss. And possibly more Chiss would have been lost because they would never have allowed the GA or the Jedi to help them fight." He smiled, "Jacen would never have turned to Tenel Ka for her fleet to help the Killiks and they wouldn't have had their daughter and now be married. Not to mention Jag Fel wouldn't have been named for promotion to a fleet admiral after his show of bravery which gave him enough leverage to marry Shawnkyr despite him being a human."

She could only stare at him; his logic did make some sense. "But Jacen turned to the Dark Side, according to you, when he nearly killed Tenel Ka's grandmother and attacked the nobles who were trying to assassinate Tenel Ka and Allana."

"True, but Tenel Ka's love brought him back and now he is her Prince Consort." Kyp couldn't keep the lopsided grin from sneaking onto his features as he added, "And they wouldn't be expecting their second child."

He watched as Jaina's expression changed to surprise as the meaning of his words sank in. Then he added, the grin turning into a smile, "Your mother told me that the other day when she caught me after our sparring match."

"My mother was civil to you?" Jaina seemed more surprised by that than the fact she was going to be an aunt again.

Kyp could only chuckle, "Yes, Goddess. Apparently, she knew you were there at the Temple and wanted to know if I'd seen you. She said that you hadn't spoken to them for over three weeks and that you were avoiding her calls again. She worries about you."

"What did you tell her?"

"That I'd seen you and that you were alright."

Another silence stretched between them and Jania settled against him again. Finally, she said, "Okay, I'll talk to them tomorrow. We need to tell them about us anyway."

Kyp couldn't help the sudden tension at the mention of admitting their relationship to the Solos. He wondered what they would say about Jaina's change of heart.

Jaina grinned and looked up at him, "Don't worry. What did you just tell me?— 'trust the Force'?"

Kyp rolled his eyes and chuckled, "I knew those words were going to come back to haunt me. I was referring to your situation, not for me when I'm staring down your mother's lightsaber or your father's blaster."

Jaina laughed and patted him on the chest. He was glad her mood had lightened. "Come on now, I don't think Mom is that good with her lightsaber and surely Dad wouldn't shot his friend. And you do want to marry me that should account for something."

"Uh-huh," Kyp didn't sound convinced but he really wasn't that concerned either. The Solos both seemed to encourage his friendship with Jaina and if Luke was able to figure out his true feelings for Jaina surely Han and possibly Leia had been able to also. After another moment of peaceful silence he said, "Come, let's get some sleep." He shifted so that he was laying flat again with Jaina wrapped in his arms, her head resting on his chest. The last words he said were whispered into her hair, "I love you, Goddess. I always have and I always will."

X

Jaina awoke before Kyp the next morning. She was snuggled up against him with her head resting on his shoulder and she was still wrapped in his arms. She never felt so loved and protected before. Neither had Jag, the few times she spent the night with him, or Zekk ever hold her like Kyp did.

She shifted to enable her to see his face and smiled contentedly. She admired Kyp's strong, handsome face as he slept. He looked younger in his slumber. The tiny lines that time and a hard life had etched around his eyes and mouth were smoothed. His full lips were slightly curved in a smile as if responding to a pleasant dream and she idly wondered if he was dreaming of her.

A lock of his dark hair fell over his brow almost giving him a boyish look. Kyp had always been a handsome man but age suited him. Jaina felt that he got better looking with each passing year. She gently pushed the wayward lock back and let her fingers linger softly on his hair. He began to show sliver in it during his latter twenties but she didn't mind because it added to his roguish good looks. However, she did wonder if his hard life of near starvation and deprivation in the Kessel mines helped steal away his outward appearance of youth just as it had his innocence.

She knew only sketches from his sixteen years of life prior to coming into hers when she was only two. Then the terror of the weeks that occurred while he was under the control of Exar Kun. She thought about what he had said about his mother the previous night. She suddenly was curious about what his family had been like. He must have loved them dearly to have that much hate in him for the Empire that ultimately allowed Kun to have so much control over him.

She found herself thinking of her own family. She loved them but she still felt fear about facing them. But Kyp was right, she needed to move on. She had left Zekk to move on and now was the time to get past her feelings concerning her family. It seemed odd to her to have it pointed out that her family would love her no matter what by Kyp. Maybe it took someone without one to love them despite their mistakes and to forgive those mistakes to help her realize she shouldn't shut her family out of her life.

She moved her hand from his hair to his cheek and brushed a feather light touch with the back of her fingers. She felt the new growth of his beard as it tickled her knuckles. She smiled; he really did look the part of a scoundrel in the morning. She lightly chuckled as she thought about her father and how he looked in the morning before he would shave; her mother had always called him her scoundrel. Well, Kyp was her rogue. She truly was her mother's daughter.

His eyes fluttered and he grinned. Before opening his eyes he said, "Mmm— this is much, much more like how I want to be awakened in the morning." He looked at her, his green eyes full of love.

"Good morning, handsome." She shifted so that she could straddle him. She smiled and bent down; showering him with her hair as she met his lips. He held her tighter and his hands caressed her back. As the kiss deepened she slid her hands around his neck and entwined her hands into his hair. She moaned when the need for air finally forced them apart.

He gazed up at her and she felt him respond to her, and she began to move her hips ever so slightly, teasingly. He moaned and whispered huskily, "Definitely the way I want to spend my mornings." He gave her a lopsided grin, "Good morning to you to, beautiful Goddess." Then he flipped her over to her back. She gave out a delighted squeal that quickly turned into a moan as his mouth found hers again and his hands caressed her body.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 **

Jaina came into the kitchen and moved to stand by Kyp where he was creating something she was sure would be delicious; at least, it smelled delicious. She still was having a hard time believing Kyp could cook; who would ever thought that? He looked down at her and she grinned, "You do realize that when we are married I may come to expect this every morning."

"Well, we shall see, won't we?" He raised an eyebrow and went on to add, "Besides, I believe I told you that I could teach you how to cook. I am a master," he grinned lopsidedly, "you know, and the last time you were my apprentice you didn't turn out that bad."

She shook her head, "Nope, _Master_ Durron, I see absolutely no reason for me to learn to cook. Not when you seem so good at it." She looked at the pastries he was picking up and piling into a storage container. "Um—Kyp—do you think I'm that hungry?" There must have been at least ten of the flaky creations in the container.

He rolled his eyes at her and responded in a deliberate old school teacher monotone while he lifted the storage container before her and pointed to it. "This is a vacuum storage container. One uses it to store food items in that are meant for later consumption. Items that are stored in said container can stay fresh for up to one week." He sat the container down on the counter and picked up a plate with several of the pastries and continuing in his monotone, "This is a plate. Items that are to be eaten immediately are placed on it." He grinned, "Are there any questions?"

She laughed and walked past him to the caf machine saying, "Kyp, whatever you do, don't ever let Uncle Luke assign you to teaching duties because you could put someone with insomnia to sleep."

"Hey! You were the one being dense." He carried the plate of pastries to the table while Jaina followed with two mugs of caf and two plates. They sat down and began eating the fresh, delicate pastries.

Finally, after swallowing a bite and curiosity getting the best of her she asked, "What are these? You left some for me yesterday. I've never had anything quite like this before."

"I actually don't know what they're called. The spice used in them is—"

"Cinnamon, I know that," she glared at him. "I do know some things."

"Well, yes. My mother used to make something similar to these when I was a kid. I hadn't tasted anything like them since. Then a few years back I was on Chandrila and the cook at the inn I was staying at served these for breakfast. Apparently, they are a specialty from her region. I asked for the receipt and she grudgingly gave it to me. They have become my favorite thing to eat for breakfast; so, I usually make enough to last for a few days." He flashed her crooked grin, "The reason for the storage container."

She glared at him again and said, "Will you stop with the storage container, already?"

He laughed and they eat in quiet for the next several moments. The silence was broken when Jaina asked in a gentle tone, "In all the years that I've known you, you've never told me what your family was like. I get the impression that you were very close to your mother."

Kyp looked down at the mug of caf that he held in his hands. He stared into the dark liquid as if searching for the answer to her inquiry. After several long moments, during which Jaina wondered if he would respond, he said in a quite voice, "We were very happy. My mother ran the house while my father worked at the local space port as a hyperdrive mechanic. We weren't rich—no one on Deyer was rich. But," he finally looked at her with a profound sadness in his stormy green eyes, "we were a family, we were happy."

Jaina pushed her plate away and leaned over the table resting her arms on the top. "Kyp, I don't mean to force you to talk—"

He cut her off as if he didn't hear her, "My mother was beautiful. She had dark curling hair and," he squinted as if trying to see something that was far away, "blue eyes, I believe, maybe grey. Her name was Meri. She was kind and fair when it came to Zeth and me. My father," he smiled as if just realizing something, "looked a lot like me, well, I guess, that would be the other way around. I look a lot like he did. Except he had lighter hair and darker eyes. He was a good mechanic; I know that, because people would ask for Liam Durron by name to fix their ships."

He took a breath, sat the mug down and finally looked at her. "I think Dad was Force-sensitive, though."

"Really?"

"Yeah, because he never seemed to be wrong. He would get these—these hunches which always seemed to be right. He'd say that he could 'feel' if something didn't seem quite right. I've often wondered who my grandparents may have been."

"You don't know?"

"No, my mother came from Chandrila, but I never could remember her maiden name and don't know if she still has family there. I never knew anything about Dad's family or where he came from. I often wondered if Dad was the result of a secrete Jedi marriage like Luke, Leia, Kam and Corran Horn's father. I'm sure there were more than just those three that were never discovered. It definitely would explain my strength in the Force."

She could only nod but she said after a moment, "But there is no record of a Jedi with the name Durron in the Old Order."

"True, but we don't know all the Jedi from then. And Durron may not have been his real name. It may have been changed like Horn's had been." Another moment pasted then he shook his head, "It really doesn't matter, though; I never tried to track down any family."

Jaina bolstered by his candidness went on to ask, "What was Zeth like?"

She instantly regretted it because she could feel his sudden pain at remembering his only brother. The brother he inadvertently killed when he destroyed Carida. But after a moment he swallowed and quietly replied, "Zeth was six years older than me but we were close. He let me follow him wherever he went. He looked out for me and included me in his adventures with his friends. There weren't many kids in the area where we lived in Feiya. Molli and her brother Yohn Tret were our best friends. We did everything together. Until the day the Empire attacked. They were killed in the raid along with their parents." His eyes when they met hers were so full of the old hatred she nearly had to look away as he concluded, "And you know what happened to us."

"I'm sorry, Kyp. I didn't mean to cause you pain by remembering." However, she was glad he was so open with her. She suddenly felt like she knew a whole other facet of Kyp Durron.

Kyp reached across the table and rested his hand on hers. She laced her fingers through his and he said, "Don't be sorry. I've never really told anyone about my family." He forced a small smile, "But if anyone should know, it's you."

Their gazes locked and Kyp opened up to her in the Force. Jaina found herself flooded with memories from Kyp's childhood. She never expected to share such a moment of intimacy with him; it brought an entirely new aspect of trust to their relationship.

Several moments later Kyp swallowed, wiped the emotion from his eyes that the sharing of his childhood memories brought and asked in a thick voice, "Um—did you make any decisions about your parents?"

She wiped the tears away that had escaped. She never felt more certain about her decision than now. "Yes, and I want to thank you."

"For what?"

She squeezed the hand she still was holding and smiled, "First, for sharing your memories. I—," she swallowed as she gazed at him and he nodded no words were necessary. "But also for being my best friend. You're right; I need to make amends with my family. I'm going to ask if I can move in with them."

He looked relieved, "I'm glad." Then after taking a deep breath he grinned and lightened the moment by adding, "Now they may be less likely to run me through with a lightsaber or shot me if they know I'm the one who convinced you to move in with them."

Jaina rolled her eyes, "You are worried about their reaction to us, aren't you?"

"Um—Yes. I may be your father's friend but you are his only daughter." He gave her a lopsided grin and went on, his words surprising her, "I know how I'd react if it were our daughter and it wouldn't be pretty. Besides, your mother hates me."

Jaina laughed. "_Our_ daughter? Well, then let's hope her grandfather doesn't shot her father before we have a chance to create her, huh?" She released his hand after squeezing it again and stood saying, "I guess I'd better call them now and let them know we'll be coming over later." She suddenly wondered just how her parents were going to react to her being so completely in love with Kyp Durron.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 **

Two hours later Kyp and Jaina were outside the door of the Solo's apartment. Kyp was carrying Jaina's belongings; he shifted the larger bag when it began to slide from his shoulder and griped the handle on the one he had lent her a little tighter. He looked over at Jaina when he felt her calling the Force to her in a calming breath. She met his gaze and gave him a nervous smile, "You ready?"

"Nope," Kyp turned back to the door and followed Jaina's lead by using a calming technique. He really was anxious all of a sudden. "But it's too late to turn back now. Your mother sensed us."

A moment later the door opened with a still beautiful Leia Organa Solo, Princess of Alderaan, former Chief-of-State of the New Republic and current Jedi Advisor to the GFFA, standing there, her face full of concern. She shifted her intense chocolate gaze from her daughter to Kyp causing him to swallow but he relaxed some when she smiled and beckoned them to enter. She tightly hugged Jaina once they were inside. When she broke it a moment later she held her daughter at arms length and looked her straight in the eye. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you did he?"

Jaina had explained to her parents when she called them that she broke up with Zekk and asked if she could move in with them for awhile. She told them that she went to Kyp's because she wasn't sure where to go. Kyp wasn't completely sure what all Jaina had disclosed to them but Kyp suddenly had the uneasy feeling they got the completely wrong idea as to why Jaina left Zekk.

Jaina smiled, "No, Zekk didn't harm me." She then hugged her father who came up beside her mother.

"That's good because I'd have blasted him to the other side of the Galaxy if he did." Han Solo released his daughter and turned to Kyp who was sitting the bags by the hall that lead back to the bedrooms. Kyp jumped when Han laid his hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Kid, for looking out for my little girl. I'm glad she has a friend like you."

Kyp smiled weakly, "Um—I'm glad I'm here for her." He looked pleadingly back at Jaina.

She met his gaze and said, "Mom, Dad, I think you should sit down. There's something I didn't tell you when I called."

Han and Leia exchanged worried glances then turned their attention to Jaina. Leia said, "Alright, baby, you know you can tell us anything." Kyp felt the nudge in the Force that Leia probed Jaina with and could see the concern in her eyes. Jaina sent to him through the same bond in the Force that allowed him to feel Leia's probe, _Great, she thinks I'm pregnant_.

Kyp could barely keep the shock from his expression as he sent back, _They have no idea about us. I'm not sure if that's a good thing._

After they were all seated each pair sitting opposite each other on the Solos' couches, Jaina took a deep breath and plunged. "I left Zekk because I realized I no longer loved him. I broke his heart but I can't live with him any longer. I will always consider him a friend but nothing more." She let them absorb that then swallowed, "I'm in love with someone else."

Han leaned forward and squinted, "Jaina, hasn't Jag Fel hurt you enough. He tried to kill you and besides, I thought I heard from Wedge he married that Chiss commander he was friends with."

Kyp felt his heart sink. Han didn't even consider him a suitor for Jaina. This definitely was not going well. He couldn't believe with all of the conversations he had with Han about Jaina the older man hadn't figured it out.

He suddenly felt a probe from Leia and he became very aware of her carefully watching him. She laid her hand on her husband's arm and said in her calm but strong voice, "Han, I don't think it's Jag Fel she's talking about."

Han looked at her, "Then who else—" Sudden realization dawned on him and he whipped his head around to stare at Kyp, "_You_!"

Kyp swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in his throat; this was not the reaction he was hoping for, at least not from Han. He also knew Han Solo was most dangerous when he was surprised. Jaina sent him a nudge of reassurance.

Jaina went on to confirm, "Yes, I realized that I love Kyp. I think I've always loved him. As terrible as it may seem Jag and Zekk were only substitutions because I never thought I could be with him. And because I was afraid of my feelings for him." She reached over and laid her hand on his which was tensely lying on his lap. He took it into his and held it.

Han jumped to his feet and Jaina and Kyp followed suit. "That fear should have told you something, Jaina. You're a Jedi. Now you tell me you're in love with Kyp Durron?" Han looked at Kyp and said, "No offence, Kid, but you are all wrong for my daughter. I won't allow this."

"Daddy!" Jaina sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. Kyp tightened the grip on her hand to bolster her and himself.

Kyp stared at his oldest and one of his dearest friends and quietly said, "Han, I realized I've done some terrible things in my past. Things that will haunt me for the rest of my life. But I love Jaina. I always have. She is the best thing that could ever have happened to me."

Han glared at him and said dangerously, "Kyp, I'm not talking about Carida. I've been your friend for years but Jaina is my daughter. You say that you have always loved her but yet you used her and betrayed her. You have left her when she could have used a friend. I appreciate that you helped her back from turning to the Dark Side but you left her when she needed a friend after her break up with Fel. I don't want her to be hurt because you decide things are too hot for you and you bail."

"Han, I left her after she broke it off with Fel because she rejected my advances. I thought that was what she wanted."

"Daddy! Stop this!" Jaina stepped between the two men Kyp knew she loved most in her life. The tears were wet on her cheeks, "Kyp has been there when I've needed him the most. That's what counts!" She stared up at her father, "I plan to marry Kyp no matter what you say. Maybe I was wrong to come," she turned to Kyp and pulled on the hand she still held, "Let's get out of here."

"Whoa! What's this about getting married?" Han turned his hard gaze from his daughter to Kyp.

"I asked her to marry me." Kyp never took his eyes from Han's, "When the time is right."

"Oh, no you won't."

Jaina tugged on Kyp's hand again but he didn't move. This wasn't in the least how he expected this to go but if they left now he would never be accepted by them.

"Han, honey, stop this," Leia stood and calmly said. Kyp suddenly felt like he had an unlikely ally. "Jaina is capable of making her own decisions. She isn't a child any longer. Besides, I've known about Kyp's feelings for Jaina for a long, long time and know they are sincere." Kyp stared at her agape. She only smiled, "I've known since Borlieas that Kyp had feelings for her."

"What?" Han turned his fury on his wife. "And you let it turn into this! I thought you couldn't stand Kyp. Besides, that brings up something else. She may not be a child but he still is too old for her."

She reached out and laid her hand on his arm again. "I thought it odd how Kyp who despised authority allowed himself to be placed under Jaina's command at Borlieas. Then I caught a look that passed over his face as he watched Jag Fel and Jaina at the celebration after the battle."

Leia turned her gaze to Kyp, her eyes so similar to Jaina's it was unsettling, then she smiled, "You looked like you had your heart ripped in two. I have to admit the thought that you harbored feelings for my daughter scared me to death. I was glad that you were reassigned. But especially, since her return, you have shown her the utmost respect and nothing but friendship—," Leia's smile grew brighter as she added, "—and love towards her."

Han stared at his wife, disbelief in his expression and tone, "You're okay with this? But he's still what?— fourteen, fifteen years older than she."

Leia chuckled, "And you're almost eleven years my senior, Han Solo. That didn't stop you or distract from us being happy. Come on, Han, Jaina may have inherited her father's stubbornness and piloting abilities, but she clearly inherited her mother's attraction to rogues and scoundrels."

Finally, Han's face softened just a little as he looked down at her. After a moment he nodded as he turned to Kyp. He pointed his finger in Kyp's face and said his voice low and threatening, "Okay. But if you ever hurt her you will wish I'd left you on Kessel."

X

Kyp leaned against the door frame of Jaina's new room. He was still holding a mug of caf that Leia served after lunch. After Han and Jaina calmed down, Leia invited Kyp to stay for lunch which she had planed after receiving Jaina's call earlier that morning. They began eating in tense silence but then Leia asked about Kyp's recent mission and he told her, Han and Jaina what he had presented two days before to the Chief-of-State and Intel. Afterwards as C-3PO cleared the dishes, they sat around the table discussing what the Moorex could be up to and what the ramifications could be if nothing is done about the seemingly military buildup of the pirate organization.

Kyp watched Jaina from the door as she unpacked. He could hear Han and Leia in the other room talking quietly, no doubt about their daughter's new and somewhat surprising relationship. He grinned at the prospect of what those two will be like as in-laws. Han who was his oldest friend disliked the idea of Kyp Durron as a perspective son-in-law. While Leia, who had always disliked Kyp for his disagreements with Luke and for what she believed to be his lack of remorse over some of the things he'd done in his past, believed Kyp to be the only man who could make Jaina happy. The irony wasn't lost on Kyp.

He stepped further into the room and chucked. Jaina turned from the closet where she just hung some clothes. "They're still at it," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, never thought Dad would be so against us." The hurt was clearly evident in her voice.

"Or that your mother would sing my praises," he said as he ran his hand through his hair.

She smiled, "That too." She walked over to the bed and sat down beside him.

Their eyes met and he chuckled, "Well, like I said this morning, I kinda expected your father to have something to say about us. I just wasn't expecting Han to be so—so opposed to us; actually, I was expecting that from your mother."

"It doesn't matter though; I would marry you anyway, regardless of what they say." She reached out and placed her hand on his thigh and looked into his eyes. Kyp could have lost himself in that intense gaze. A moment later she went on to say, "What do you think the Council will do with the information about the Moorex?"

Kyp took a sip of the cooling caf and sat the cup on the bedside table. Then he met her eyes again taking her hand into his, "I don't know if the Jedi will do anything. We really have to wait for the government. It isn't our place to act."

Jaina stared at him agape, "What have you done to the man I love? Because that is the last thing the Kyp Durrron I know would say."

Kyp laughed and squeezed her hand, "I'm a changed man. Isn't that what your mother said?"

"Yeah, but don't change too much. I fell in love with the rogue." She smiled back than said, "No, seriously what will the Jedi do?"

Kyp looked away and took a deep breath before looking back at her. "Actually, I'm going to propose that we work with Military Intel and send a team into Geonosis to knock out the factories. I plan to present my plan tomorrow at the Council meeting."

She searched his face and finally said, "You're planning to be on that mission aren't you?" Then angrily she asked, "When were you going to tell me any of this?"

Kyp looked down at his lap at the hand he held and realized she deserved to know. He had been planning this since before he got back and hadn't even told her what his mission was about. He had a lot to learn regarding letting her into his life and he knew it. As much as he regretted it, he knew she had become his partner and would want to go with him. He didn't want her to but he realized if their roles would be reversed he'd want to be beside her. He finally looked at her and said, "I'm sorry, Jaina, we just never brought it up. But, yes, I'm planning to be on any mission to Geonosis, since it will be my idea. I don't really have a complete plan worked out but what ever we do the strike team will need to be small."

"I will be on that team, Kyp. If you go, I go," Jaina responded, her tone defiant.

"No, Jaina. It will be too dangerous."

"Kyp, I won't let you go without me. I'm your partner, remember? You once asked to be my wingmate if I ever need one. Well, you need a wingmate and who better than me? I can't let you go alone. If something happened to you and I was here," she shook her head and he watched as a tear escaped the corner of her eye. She sent him an intense gaze that caused him to shudder, "it would kill me."

Kyp took her into his arms and hugged her tightly as he murmured, "Alright, we can discuss this later."

She pulled away from him her face red with anger and her eyes glazed with tears, "No, Kyp, you will not put me off. I will be on this mission." Then her features softened and she leaned back against him, "I don't have a good feeling about this. I—it's like I need to be there with you. If I'm not something terrible is going to happen."

Kyp held her for a long time before finally saying, "Okay, Goddess, I'll recommend you for the mission." Something about the way Jaina said that last sent a chill through him. He would never be able to explain it but somehow he knew she was right. After several more moments he pulled away from her and said as he gazed hard into her eyes, "But you have to promise me you won't do anything crazy."

"Of course not." She laid her head back down on his chest and tightened her arms around his neck as she murmured, "Unless, it saves your skin." After a long moment she faced him again and said, "I love you."

"I know," he whispered and bent his head and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. Kyp broke it and said his voice husky, "I'd better be going." But instead of releasing her he pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. When the need for air ended the kiss, he whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver, "I love you, my beautiful Goddess, I always have and I always will." He let her go, picked up the mug from the table and stood. He touched her face not wanting to let her go. "I'll call you tomorrow after the meeting. We can have lunch together."

She nodded and stood, and then while taking his hand she said, "I'll walk you out."

X

He said his farewells to the Solos and he and Jaina walked hand in hand to the garage where his speeder was parked. She turned into his embrace as they stopped before the closed cockpit vehicle. She leaned into him and kissed him; afterwards, she smiled and said, "I'll miss you tonight."

He grinned lopsidedly and quipped, "I'll need to remember to remind you of that after we've been married for a while and you throw me out of our bed after a fight."

She rolled her eyes at him, "Fine, I take it back, I won't miss you."

He opened the hatch and snickered. He moved away from her and got into the speeder. She reluctantly let go of his hand and moved away. He said, "Too late, Goddess, but I know you will." He winked at her as the hatch closed. Then she heard in her head as Kyp sent through the Force to her while the speeder lifted off the hanger floor, _Because I'll miss you_.

Within minutes Kyp's speeder was absorbed into the constant flow of traffic. She began to walk slowly back to her parent's home when a sudden feeling of dread chilled her to the core. She found herself looking into a vision of a laughing half human, half machine face who stood over a too still Kyp with a lightsaber in his metal hand.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

She shook the vision from her mind and made her way back to the apartment. There she and her parents had a long heart felt and tearful discussion. To her honest surprise, she discovered her parents would love her no matter what. And Kyp: well, although, her father still wasn't sure about the relationship, she found her mother more understanding and accepting even if she still did not always agree with or approve of the Jedi Master.

Jaina did not sleep well that night. She eventually went into a meditative trance only to have more of the disturbing vision played out to her. She could not completely remember all of it but she was more certain than before that she needed to be on any mission with Kyp to Geonosis. She told nothing of the dream to her parents, she really wasn't sure herself what all of it meant; she only had feelings really, and she did not want them to worry.

Kyp, true to his word, called her before the Council meeting. She made her way to the Temple at the appointed time only to find that the meeting was going longer than expected. She thanked Ma'lil and headed to Kyp's office. It was almost lunchtime and she was sure it would not be much longer before it adjourned, at least for lunch.

She was nearly half way there when she heard her aunt's voice calling her from the direction of Luke's office. She took a deep breath. She knew that tone; it was the same tone Mara used when Jaina was her Apprentice and would do something Mara disagreed with. Jaina realized instantly after Kyp told her of Luke's intervention in the attack on him by Zekk, that Mara would learn of the relationship. Luke would have told her. And Jaina could tell from her tone of voice she was not pleased.

Jaina keyed in the code that would unlock Kyp's door. She had known it since returning. Then she turned to face the still stunning red haired woman who had once been commanded to assassinate Luke Skywalker.

"Jaina?" She called again as she approached.

"Yes, Aunt Mara, so, the Council meeting is over?" Jaina forced a smile. She really was in no mood to explain or justify her feelings for Kyp and she hoped he didn't stay behind to argue some point with the other Masters. She only wanted to see him and to talk to him about the vision she had and to hear of the Council's decision concerning her for the mission. She was well aware not all of the Council trusted her since her blatant disregard for orders two years prior.

Mara looked at her niece and nodded towards the door, "Are you going in?"

Jaina simply nodded and stepped through the door. After Mara entered Jaina closed the door. She did not want anyone to hear the exchange she was sure would come. She had already received several disapproving looks as she entered the Temple. Ma'lil was a gossip and since he had known Zekk had entered Kyp's office and had surly learned of the lightsaber dual; she was certain half the Temple knew that something was going on between Kyp and she. Jaina just did not want to give them any more proof, not yet.

They looked around the office. Kyp's office was like all of the others expect for the new desk and visitor's chair that was placed in the center of it. And the scorch marks where the sabers hit the shelving and beige carpeted floor. Jaina viewed the scene with great remorse and sorrow. She would never have been able to forgive herself if Zekk had injured or worse killed Kyp. She would have forever blamed herself for the anger and hate that aided in Zekk touching the Darkness, especially, since he had always vowed ever to touch it again.

The silence was broken when Mara curtly said, "I guess Kyp's lucky Luke was close by to intervene the other day. Looks like Zekk gave him a run for his credits."

Jaina just stared in disbelief at her, "I don't think that was an appropriated thing to say considering what could have happened." She turned away from her aunt and quietly added, "If Zekk would have killed Kyp I would have never forgiven myself." She then turned and found Mara's emerald eyes then said with all conviction, "Actually, I would have taken my X-Wing and pointed it straight for the sun."

Mara stared at Jaina, her sardonic expression replaced with one of true concern and love, "I'm sorry, Jaina. You're right that was not a proper thing to say. But, then I don't think you are really in love with Kyp."

Jaina was instantly angry, "How could you possibly know what I feel?" She stepped closer and before Mara could respond she spat, "I have always loved Kyp. No, maybe I didn't admit it to myself or believed it was more than friendship, but it was always there. He has always been my best friend, my mentor. But, I did not leave Zekk on a whim, Aunt Mara. Nor, did Kyp talk me into it. I left Zekk because he asked me to marry him and I could not say yes, because my dreams and thoughts for the past six months have been of Kyp. I knew that Zekk loved me but I could not bring myself to truly love him. I am sorry he was hurt but in the long run he will thank me. Because I would have eventually found myself hating him and myself for ignoring what my heart was telling me."

"He will only hurt you Jaina. He has done it before and he will do it again. He may have changed with age but he still is irresponsible and unyielding." Mara looked hard at Jaina. "He will leave you when things start to go against the way he wishes them to or when things get difficult. How many times before has he walked out on you?"

Jaina glared at her, "And how many times have you walked out on me when I needed you most?" She made a slashing gesture with her hand to cut off any and all comment, "Come off it, Mara, you are still upset because I apprenticed myself to Kyp when I was technically still yours. But, where were you? I needed you and you were too worried about how soon you could get off Hapes."

"I was going after my son!" Mara's anger was as rampant as Jaina's.

"But _I_ needed you!" Jaina was close to tears but she fought them off. She swallowed and took a deep breath letting some of the old hurt go. "Kyp was the only person who cared enough to see what was happening to me after Myrkr." She turned away and went on to more quietly say, "He understood me when no one else did. He was the only one who was brave enough to stand up to me. You and Uncle Luke were worried about Ben. Mom and Dad just lost both of their sons and were grieving themselves. Zekk was truly frightened of me and ran. Tenel Ka had to deal with a sick and dieing mother, losing Jacen and a vindictive grandmother who was trying to lure me onto the throne." Jaina turned back to Mara the silent tears falling as she remembered one of the darkest times of her life. "I wonder if Ta'a Chume knew that if I had taken the crown of Hapes I could have became as much a monster as my grandfather had been."

Mara let her own anger go and said quietly, "I did not realize how close to the Dark Side you were."

"No, you didn't. But Kyp saw it and Lowie saw it, but only Kyp stood up to me and showed me what I was becoming. It was his love and friendship for me that helped me back. Not just then but when I returned from the Unknown Regions and felt like no one could love me for what I had done."

Mara said stiffly, "But you closed your self off to all of us. You wouldn't let us in. Only Zekk and Kyp."

Jaina relented some, "That's true, but it was Kyp who showed me the way back to myself and to my family. He was always here for me when I needed him the most."

Mara let out a breath and let the rest of the anger flow away from her. She stepped forward and Jaina let Mara embrace her. Mara than held her away far enough to say as she locked gazes with the shorter Jaina, "Jaina, I just don't want to see you hurt. That's all. I love you."

Jaina smiled and replied, "I love you, too, Aunt Mara. But the only thing that can hurt me is your not accepting that Kyp and I love each other." Jaina paused then added, "Right now no one other than the family and Zekk knows Kyp and I are more than just friends but as soon as the time is right we plan to marry."

"Jaina, that's rather sudden, isn't it?"

"Maybe, but we have already wasted so much time. We both just want to get on with our lives and eventually have a family of our own."

Mara was silent for a long time then she said, "I only hope you are not making a mistake. Luke thinks you and Kyp are good for each other, but I disagree with him. However, I can see there is no convincing you otherwise." Then she smiled and added, "But if he ever hurts you— "

Just then the door slid open and Kyp stepped forward saying, "You'll have to stand behind Han Solo and wait your turn. Then you can have whatever is left."

The women turned to him and Jaina smiled as she moved away from her aunt. She went into Kyp's arms and she leaned up to kiss him but before their lips touched she sent through the Force, _I missed you._

Kyp smiled after breaking the gentle kiss and gazed into her eyes with love and devotion. He then turned to face Mara but kept his arm around Jaina's waist.

Mara turned away from them when Jaina went into Kyp's arms to allow them some privacy and because she really did not want to witness the scene. She turned back when Kyp went on to say his tone serious, "Mara, I love Jaina. I know you don't like me and you probably never will. But I would never willing hurt Jaina. I will do everything in my power to protect her."

Mara stared hard at Kyp, "Even from yourself, Kyp?"

He nodded, he knew what she was driving at, "Yes, Mara, even from myself. But I'm not the same person I used to be. My love for her has changed me. She is my other half. She is my best friend and the love of my life. To lose her would kill me."

Mara could only nod and she then left them to go find Luke.

X

"Well, I'mnot sure what to make of that," Kyp said after the door closed and Mara was gone. He took Jaina into his arms and held her.

"Sometimes, I think Mara forgets she wasn't exactly everyone's first choice for Uncle Luke considering she wanted to kill him." Jaina leaned into him and sighed. She smiled as she gazed into his eyes. "I don't care what she says or thinks; although, I hope she eventually comes to terms with the idea of you as a nephew-in-law."

Kyp chuckled, "Oh, seeing her face the first time I call her 'Aunt Mara' will be priceless."

Jaina joined his chuckle, "You do like to live dangerously, don't you?"

"Of course, I'm not sure which will be worse: her reaction to me calling her 'Aunt" or having her _as_ one."

They laughed for a moment and they then just held onto each other for a while with Jaina resting her head on Kyp's chest. Finally, Kyp whispered into her ear, "I missed you last night too."

She raised her head and he captured her lips in a kiss that left her breathless. She clung to him not wanting to let him go but eventually she pulled away far enough to ask, "How did to Council meeting go?"

Kyp shook his head and stepped away from her, she could feel the drastic change in his mood like snow on desert sand. "Considering it isn't over, it still managed to prove to me yet again that Corran Horn has to be a vapin' idiot."

Even though she could tell Kyp was frustrated and becoming angry she still couldn't help the eye roll she gave him and asked sardonically, "Oh, now what did Corran do?"

"He thinks we should wait and see what the Moorex are up to." Kyp moved further away and ran his had through his tussled curly hair. "He doesn't think we should do anything until they actually make a move." He turned his back to her and then added his anger coming through, "And what's worse he is starting to convince some of the other Members."

"And let me guess, you are arguing that we should strike now before they have any more time to become stronger."

"Yes!" He turned and stared incredulously at her. He took the few steps back to stand before her. Jaina could feel his growing anger and frustration as if it was her own. "Jaina, the Moorex under the control of Marolosa could become very powerful. I've dealt with him before. He is rich, ruthless and power hungry. And now I hear he is insanely intent on becoming more powerful than Prince Xizor of the Black Sun ever was. He always was cunning but now that half of his brain is a computer he is even more so. He has gobbled up and gained control of most of the smaller pirate and smuggling operations on the Outer to Mid Rims. Not to mention the foot holds in the governments of Tatooine, Nal Hutta, Ryloth, Rodia, and surprisingly even Naboo just to mention a few." He locked gazes with Jaina and she felt a chill at the storm in his green eyes. "We can't afford to wait and see what he is up to. He doesn't have an army yet but if we let Geonosis alone long enough he will. It could be the Clone Wars all over again."

Jaina stared at him she knew he was right. "We can't afford another war, Kyp. We're still picking up the pieces from the last two."

"I know," he said more quietly and moved to lean his back against the edge of his desk. "But some of the Council doesn't think the Jedi should be the ones making the first moves. The memory of what happened to us when the Vong invaded and when the Jedi nearly split due to the Killiks issue is still a bitter memory. And ironically I do agree with that. I don't think the Jedi should move on our own but we need to persuade Omas that it is vital to move soon. Luke agrees and will get Intel involved."

"So, what do you propose then?" She sat down on the couch and leaned over her legs with her elbows resting on her knees.

X

Kyp was silent for a moment and ran his hand back through his hair. He knew Jaina wasn't going to like what he was about to say.

She must have sensed his hesitation, "Kyp? What aren't you telling me?"

He took a breath and said, "I proposed that with the help of Military Intel, a team of two Jedi go into the factory at Geonosis and somehow sabotage the plant."

Jaina sat up and simply said, "Of course, that insertion team will be you and me."

He looked over at her and slowly shook his head, "No, Jaina, Kyle and I will make up the insertion team. You will make up the back up team that will wait with the transport and the Intel agents."

Kyp watched as the blood drained from Jaina's face. She jumped to her feet and practically screamed, "No!" She was close to tears as she moved to stand before him. He stood and held onto her upper arms, "No, no, Kyp, I need to be with you. You don't understand. I need to be with you!"

"Jaina, what is wrong?" Kyp was genuinely concerned he had not seen Jaina so distraught since she returned from the Unknown Regions.

She sobbed and leaned onto his chest, "I had a vision, Kyp. I saw you," she looked up at him and sniffled, "I saw you hurt and I saw a hideous face of half human and half droid laughing over you with a lightsaber in his hand." She shook her head and went on to say, "I only know that if I'm not with you, I'll lose you."

Kyp stared at her. He really wasn't expecting this. He had had very few visions in his life and mostly they were only after long meditations and were usually so cryptic that he never knew how to read them. He knew Jaina had never had many if any visions; at least, none that she had told him about. However, he took what she said very seriously. He knew about the visions her brothers had and he knew Luke and even Leia had visions from time to time. But the most disturbing aspect was that every member of the Skywalker clan had visions and often they had come to pass. The most disturbing was the story of the vision Anakin Skywalker had about his wife dying in childbirth and what came about from that. Kyp shuddered as a chill ran through him.

Kyp held onto her and stroked her hair as she buried her face into his chest. He quietly said into her hair, "Oh, Goddess, you won't lose me." But it didn't sound convincing even to his ears.

She turned her face back to his, her eyes like deep pools of brandy, "Please, Kyp, convince the Council to allow me to go with you as your partner for the insertion team. I don't know what any of it means but it's like the Force is screaming at me that I need to be there with you."

He pulled her back to him. He suddenly didn't ever want to let her go. He simply whispered, "Alright, Goddess, alright. I'll do everything I can to make sure you're the one with me."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 **

(One month later)

Jaina and Kyp stood at the docking bay near the _Millennium Falcon_ which was parked in the small hanger that was adjacent to and belonged to the Jedi Temple. Near the landing ramp sat a repulser cart which was piled high with packages and the Solo's luggage. They watched as C-3PO loaded yet another package onto the ship. Kyp leaned over and quietly said, "You'd think they were moving into the palace for a lifetime not just visiting Hapes for a month."

Jaina laughed and moved even closer to Kyp who put his hand around her waist as she leaned her back against his chest. She couldn't believe a month had passed since she admitted to her feelings for him. They still hadn't openly announced their attachment but she realized most in the Temple knew of it. Some even knew the gory details of her sudden breakup with Zekk and the dual that happened in Kyp's office. She should have realized that as soon as Zekk landed on Zonoma Sekot, Danni and Tahiri would learn of the break up. And if Tahiri knew, Valin Horn would learn of it which to Kyp's displeasure meant Corran knew.

Tahiri had already commed Jaina and discussed Kyp with her. Tahiri was rather happy about the change in Jaina's relationship saying she knew they were destined to be together. Tahiri did, however, voice a concern about Zekk but also told Jaina that he and Danni seemed to be picking up where they left off several years before. Jaina wished them all the luck. Tahiri and Valin were to be married in five months on Zonoma Sekot and Han already agreed to give Tahiri away.

Jaina looked up at Kyp and said, "Well, most of that stuff is for Allana. Dad is so jealous of Isolder it's almost comical. He's afraid Prince Grandpa will be able to spoil her more than him."

Kyp snickered, "I still am having a hard time picturing your father as a grandfather." Kyp gently tightened his grip on her waist and she turned her head to meet his eyes, "Can't wait to see what he's like with our kids."

Jaina smiled at him and teased, "I can't wait to see you as a father. But I know you will be a great one." She patted his hand that was splayed over her abdomen.

He grinned and leaned down over her shoulder to whisper in her ear, "Thanks, and you will be a great mother. I've never wanted anyone but you to be mother to my kids."

She rolled her eyes and turned her head to lean against him again and sighed contentedly. She honestly had never been happier. She still had the nightmarish vision but she felt better knowing that she would be with Kyp on Geonosis. They were to leave in three days for the Outer Rim planet.

The sound of boots on the decking slightly separated them and they turned but when they saw it was Han they continued to hold hands.

Han Solo grinned and said, "Caught you, love birds." He came up to them and was carrying yet another package.

Kyp grinned crookedly and raised an eyebrow, "Han, I really hope you're planning on returning. I thought you disliked Prince Isolder. I didn't think you'd want to move in with him."

Han looked at his prospective son-in-law and snorted, "I do and I'm not. This is for Allana especially since his Pretty Boy Highess sees my granddaughter every day and I've seen her, what?—two times. And she will be two in a few months." He grinned, "Need to make up for lost time."

Jaina squeezed Kyp's hand and laughed, "Hope you don't spoil our kids that bad."

Kyp sent Jaina a silent nudge when Han gave him a dangerous glare. "Just remember you need to be good and married before you even think of having any kids."

Kyp couldn't help but grin, "Don't worry, Han. Although, I want a family, I also want Jaina to myself for a while after we're married." He paused and then added, his grin becoming mischievous, "We need to make up for lost time."

Jaina smacked Kyp on his arm and rolled her eyes at her father who looked as if he swallowed a gundark. However, all comment was interrupted when Leia came up and laid her hand on her husband's forearm. After seeing his expression she asked as she looked to Kyp who was snickering. "Am I interrupting something?"

Jaina laughed and said, "No, except these two insist on tormenting each other." She then turned to Kyp and quipped, "You know one of these days I won't be around to protect you and you just may find yourself at the other end of his blaster." Jaina though knew they were only teasing each other.

The comfortable teasing started after Jaina and Han had a long heart to heart about her relationship with Kyp. Han admitted that after he thought about it he admired Kyp for his stalwartness concerning Jaina and her love life. He told Jaina that he would have never been able to sit back and wait until Leia decided she was in love with him. It drove him to desperation just to think she'd even considered marrying Isolder, let alone if he had to see them together constantly. Jaina in turn assured her father that she and Kyp had a bond that was built on love, trust, friendship and the Force. She knew without a doubt Kyp loved her as much as she loved him.

Kyp turned to her and raised an eyebrow, "Who says I need you to protect me?"

"When it comes to him, I know you do," Jaina squeezed his hand and gave him a lopsided grin.

Leia chuckled and shook her head and then let go of Han's arm. "Jaina, I would like to have a word with you."

"Okay," Jaina reluctantly let go of Kyp's hand and went off with her mother into the _Falcon_.

X

Kyp watched Jaina move away and the sound of Han's chuckle brought him back as he turned to meet Han's eyes, "Kid," Han stepped closer and put his hand on Kyp's shoulder, "you have it bad. How in the Galaxy I didn't see it is still beyond me."

Kyp couldn't help the blush he knew was rising on his cheeks and turned away again, but it wasn't totally from what Han had just said. As he watched Jaina move away, he had been thinking of his plans for that evening and about the night they planned to spend together, which was the first since she moved in with her parents. Definitely something he didn't want Han to know about. "Yeah, I guess I do," said as he turned back to his friend and grinned.

Han continued to rest his hand on Kyp's shoulder as he said, "Wish we were going to Geonosis with you, Kid."

Kyp shook his head and looked at Han. He and Jaina would be leaving in three days on the Military Intelligence corvette, _Sunrise_with the rest of the team of Jedi appointed for the mission along with the crew of the _Sunrise_. "No, you and Leia need to go see that granddaughter of yours." He gave Han a lopsided grin as he went on to add, "And break the news to Jacen that I'm going to be his brother-in-law."

Han patted Kyp's shoulder and laughed, "I can't wait to see that reaction. I know how much he likes you."

Han was quiet for a moment then turned to face the younger man, his expression serious, "Keep her safe, Kyp. Make sure she comes back and that you are with her when she does. I know something about this mission is bothering her. I may not have the Force whispering to me in my ear but I know Jaina and I know something is scaring her." Han searched Kyp's face as if looking for answers. "But she won't tell me or her mother what has been keeping her up at night. She will only tell me that she misses you but I know there is something else going on."

Kyp looked the older man in the eye and realized he wouldn't be able to fool him. No, Han didn't have the Force but he could read people as well as some Jedi. Kyp took a deep breath and let it out then he said, "Jaina's been having a recurrent vision about the mission. I don't know all of the details but I get the impression that she thinks something will happen to me if she isn't there with me. But even though she is going to ground with me she still is having the vision."

"So, what are you going to do?" Han asked concerned.

Kyp's intense gaze never left Han's eyes, "Trust her feelings. The Force is telling her something and I know not to ignore it. Anyone with Skywalker blood in them hasn't been wrong too many times."

Han nodded and quietly said, "No, I guess they haven't"

X

Leia and Jaina entered the main hold of the _Falcon_ and there Leia finally asked, "Jaina, tell me what has been bothering you?"

Jaina stared at her mother, "Nothing, Mom. Nothing is bothering me. I'm happier than I've ever been. I really had no idea what I've almost threw away concerning Kyp, just because I was afraid of my feelings for him."

"I know that you are happy about Kyp. But sometimes you seem so—I don't know—distant, like something is frightening you." Leia sat the package she carried with her down in the lunge with the others. She looked around at all of the various things for Allana and shook her head. She didn't comment on Han's over zealousness at gifting his granddaughter. Of course, Jaina knew her mother was just as anxious to see the little Hapan Princess. Leia instead turned her attention back to Jaina.

Jaina couldn't meet Leia's gaze. She busied herself at fingering the ribbon bow of one of the smaller gifts for Allana that was sitting on the game table. She said, "I'll admit I'm a little nervous about the mission. It's my first since returning and I don't want to fail the Council."

Leia walked over to stand beside Jaina and regarded her. Jaina wondered if she saw through the lie. If she did she did not press the matter and responded by laying her hand on Jaina's shoulder and smiled, "You will do fine. Kyp thinks you are ready or he wouldn't have fought so hard to have you assigned to the insertion team."

Then another thought came to Jaina's mind and she changed the subject by looking at her mother and smiling, "Mom, can you do me a favor while visiting Hapes?"

"Of course, honey, anything."

"I'd like you to ask Tenel Ka and Jacen if—um—if they would allow Kyp and I to have our wedding there."

Leia hugged Jaina and gave her a huge smile, "I'd love to." Then she gave Jaina a questioning look, "Do we have a date?"

Jaina smiled, "Not really except we want it to be soon. We are planning to announce our engagement when we return and hopefully the wedding can happen soon after that. We've wasted enough time."

Han and Kyp entered and the women embraced again. Then Jaina hugged her father. Kyp said his farewells by first giving Leia a loose, awkward embrace and a vigorous handshake to Han. They left the _Falcon_ and watched as Han skillfully lifted the old freighter and soon streaked through the crowded Coruscant sky.

X

Kyp turned to Jaina and as he put his arms around her he winked and said, "I think we should go back to my apartment and have some dinner."

She gave him a mischievous grin and put her arms around his waist. She then noticed the same few technicians wandering around the other ships in the hanger that were there since they came out. But she chose to ignore them. "Oh, and will there be any dessert?"

"Mmm—" She could feel his desire through their bond, "I think we can think of something." He bent down and before she could dodge, his lips met hers in a kiss that promised much more to come later.

Jaina broke the kiss and gazed at him. She stretched out her feelings and felt the surprise and other similar emotions in the hired technicians and the two Jedi that were coming into the hanger who witnessed the kiss. She glared at him and accused, "So, was that your way of admitting to the rumor about us?"

He looked offended, "Whatever do you mean?" But mischief quickly took over the expression, "I only wanted to give my Goddess a taste of dessert to whet her appetite."

"If I still decide to have dinner with you." She continued to glare at him. "I think you just wanted to give the techs and Valin Horn and Doran Tainer a show."

He chuckled, "They deserved something. Three of the techs have been carrying the same tools around since we came out here to see your parents off and as for Valin and Doran, oh well." He shrugged and pulled her closer and whispered in her ear which caused her to shudder, "I'm tired of sneaking around. I want to yell from the tallest building—'I'm in love with Jaina Solo and she loves me!'" Before she could even think of responding he captured her lips again and kissed her passionately.

X

Later that night they sat on the couch of Kyp's apartment with the lights low and slow sultry music playing softly in the background. She was curled up beside him with her head on his shoulder and she toyed with a lock of his long curling hair. He had his arm around her and was mindlessly caressing her sleeveless upper arm. They had dinner together, another delicious creation that Kyp dazzled her with, and now they sat snuggled together. They have done this on several evenings but tonight was special because Jaina had no intention of leaving.

Finally, Jaina broke the peaceful silence, "I asked Mom to ask Tenel Ka and Jacen if we could have our wedding on Hapes."

"Oh," Kyp looked down and met her gaze.

"Well, one of us has to start thinking about it unless you really want Mom to plan our wedding. I already caught her looking at bridal gowns." Jaina made a disgusted expression by wrinkling her nose and shaking her head.

He chuckled, "No, I guess your right. But I was thinking more along the lines of something small here on Coruscant. Possibly at the Temple with your uncle officiating."

Jaina moved so that she could see his face better, "So, you have been thinking about it. Why haven't you said anything?"

"Because no one asked me."

She gently smacked him on the chest and scoffed, "Kyp Durron, since when do you ever wait to be asked about your opinion?"

He pulled her onto his lap and she straddled his legs. He grinned, "Since I know better than to get my mind set on planning our wedding. That's the bride's territory. If you want to get married on Hapes, then we'll get married on Hapes." She found herself drowning in his green eyes as he want on to whisper, "I just hope I'm coherent enough to say 'I do' when prompted. I never thought I'd see the day I'd be marrying you."

He pulled her even closer and his lips found hers. He quickly deepened the kiss when she parted her lips and moaned. He left her lips to rain kisses along her jaw line and down the column of her throat.

Her hands were busy caressing his chest but soon found she wanted more. She quickly undid the buttons of his shirt and pushed it aside. Then she kissed his shoulder, his chest. As she ran her tongue over his flat nipples, he groaned and lifted the black silky tank top she wore. She pulled away far enough to allow him to pull it over her head and arms. Then she watched him as he studied her rounded lace covered breasts. His hands caressed them and soon the black lace bra she wore went with the top.

"Oh, Goddess," he moaned in her ear, "you are so beautiful."

She smiled and looked up into his passion darkened green eyes. Then she shifted so that she could stand before him. She then undid her pants and let them fall, leaving behind only the matching panties that went with the bra.

Kyp licked his lips and stared mesmerized by her then she stepped back to him and undid his belt and pants fasteners. He moved enough to allow her to pull them down over his hips releasing him from their tightness. But before she could climb back onto his lap, she slowly removed her panties. She smiled as she felt Kyp's desire spike even higher. Then she eased herself onto him and they both groaned at the pleasure their joining elicited.

She entwined her hands into his hair and he into hers. Their lips met and Jaina kissed Kyp passionately. As she began to move faster over him, he moved his hands to her waist and helped her move.

"Ooooh, Kyp—" she breathed into his mouth as she broke their kiss and began to pant. He took this opportunity to find her breast with his mouth and began to nibble on the point.

They soon were flying higher and higher, their passion taking them to a place of pure joy, pure ecstasy.

"Oh, Baby, come for me," he whispered into her ear breathlessly. And as if the shudder his hot breath caused or the loving command was enough, Jaina let go and found release.

"Oooh, Kyp—!" she threw back her head and nearly screamed, her nails biting into the taunt flesh of his shoulders.

Feeling her reach her ecstasy was enough to send Kyp sailing to his. He tightened his hold on her and when she moved her head back down to his shoulder he buried his face into her sweet smelling hair.

"Gods, Jaina—!" he groaned as he let go.

They continued to hold each other for a long time. Finally, Kyp stood taking Jaina with him and carried her to his bed room to continue what she was sure would be a very exciting night of love and passion.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 **

Seven days later Jaina sat ramrod straight as she stared out of the side viewport of the old BTL-S3 Y-Wing that would carry Kyp and her to the surface of Geonosis.

Kyp finished the preflights and quipped "Hope this bucket gets there and back. This hunk of junk is older than me."

Which was nearly true. The two-man fighter/ bomber dated back to the early days of the Galactic Civil War. It was chosen because it was less likely to raise suspicions as it snuck into the Geonosis system. The smugglers and pirates that comprised the Moorex Pirates set up shop in the outer orbit of the planet just outside of the asteroid belt that made up the planetary ring. Pirates and smuggling groups had a long history of using older cast-offs from the government and private sources. Or they would cobble together ships from different sources calling the strange combinations "uglies."

The plan that was proposed by Kyp to the Jedi Council over a month ago was finally under way. A team of Jedi including Corran, Valin and Jysella Horn, Doran Tainer, Kyle Katran, Jaina and Kyp, along with the Military Intelligence crew of _Sunrise_, an equally old _Marauder_-class corvette, came into system two days ago to stake out the system from its hiding place behind the Geonosis primary. After deciding on the best route, Kyp and Jaina were to sneak into the flurry of ships around Geonosis and then get under the planet's defenses at the north pole of the desolate desert world. From there they would literally skim the surface to the factories. There they would find a way in and sabotage the factory's main computer.

The plan called for downloading a destructive computer virus which would corrupt the droid brains of the manufacturing robots as well as be transmitted from the command center to any activated droids rendering them useless. The team was also instructed to upload any data regarding the Moorex and its head Marolosa for use against them and their supporters in the governments of worlds like Tatooine and Naboo.

Intelligence was able to get much of the needed information regarding the Clone Wars facility on Geonosis from the Imperial Remnant which the slicer Ghent used to create the virus. The computer bug, as he explained it to Kyp, Jaina and Luke, was very similar to a biological virus because it could mutate and change according to what it came up against in order to complete its destructive intent.

Jaina only hoped the actual doing was as easy as the planning briefings made it sound. She still had the disturbing vision and she could feel the fear it caused creep into her thoughts as the mission became a reality.

Kyp's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she turned her head towards him. He was to pilot the Y-Wing while she acted as gunner and co-pilot from the backward facing seat behind him. "What?"

He turned to look at her and half-heartedly grinned, "I said, I hope this crate gets us there. It has to be older than I am."

She returned his smile but it never reached her eyes, "Yeah, and we all know how ancient you are."

Kyp didn't get a chance to refute the remark, as the speakers came to life with the voice of Jysella Horn who was acting control officer, "_Trickster II_, you're all go. May the Force be with you."

"Copy, _Sunrise_. And may the Force be with you," Kyp replied.

Kyp had named the Y-Wing in honor of Jaina's goddess ruse during the Yuuzhan Vong War. She had vehemently argued against it but Kyp eventually won the argument by tickling her into agreement.

Kyp lifted the ship from the hanger of the old corvette and headed out. Once free of the sun's gravity they made a short jump out of system only to jump back in at the northern pole side of the planet. Kyp guided the fighter down the gravity well and quickly got under the planet's defenses. He then skimmed the rough surface literally only meters from the hard ground. "Well, that wasn't too hard," Kyp said as they reached the surface.  
"Yeah, but I thought that was the easy part." Jaina said as she watched the monitor that had been modified for her to act as co-pilot and not just as gunner. The ship did not have an astromech droid and she preformed many of the scanning tasks it would have.

After several minutes of relatively easy flying, Jaina warned, "Watch out for that crevice ahead. Kyp, watch out!" she yelled when he didn't seem to be paying attention. He then quickly pulled the ship to its side and slid through the narrow opening.

"I saw it. I saw it," he gritted out. He had to maneuver the ship through two tight twists both of which brought gasps from Jaina. As they came out of the other side of the long gorge, he said, pleased with himself, "Not to bad, if I do say so myself."

"Well—Kyp!"

He instantly pulled up on the yoke to slide up the side and over a two kilometer high cliff face. All the while Jaina held her breath. Only when they cleared the top did she let it out. She shook her head and said, "Next time, I do the flying."

He banked the ship starboard to avoid a boulder half the size of a star destroyer then said through gritted teeth as the g-force pulled on them, "I asked you if you wanted to be pilot, remember? And you told me that since it was my mission I could fly." He jinked the ship flat again just in time to bank portside to avoid another large piece of rock. "So no complaints," he added testily.

She winced as he pulled the ship the other direction and scoffed, "Well, I didn't realized you were going to pilot this piece of junk like you do your speeder!"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" He pushed the stick down and the repulsers screamed as he cut them slightly to drop with the sharp cliff as the plateau dropped to nothingness for two or three kilometers.

"You figure it out, Durron." She gritted her teeth against the sudden increase in G's as the ship dropped. The Y-Wing really wasn't designed for flight so close to the surface.

As Kyp leveled the ship out again they found themselves flying over a low flat dune sea and they both sighed a breath of relief. However, the easy ride was over way too soon as another two or so kilometer high cliff face loomed before them. And to Jaina's displeasure the resulting plateau was just as hazardous as the one they had left before.

They were coming up onto the factories and Jaina began scouting out for a place to land. Finally, she found a depression in the terrain and yelled to Kyp as she pointed out the portside viewport, "There!"

"See it," he replied and pulled hard on the stick bringing the ship to port. "Looks like some kind of exhaust port."

"We should be able to hide there. Doesn't seem to be any activity anywhere down here. I'm not picking much up in way of life forms."

"Yeah, and I'm not getting much from the Force," Kyp added as he brought the ship over the vent. "How about those emissions? Are they safe?"

Jaina scanned the data and nodded, "We'll be okay. They appear to be nothing but water steam with low concentrations of carbon and iron." She paused and added as he lowered the ship into the hole, "and a bunch of other things but all low in toxicity."

Kyp continued to lower the ship and put it down on the ledge next to the vent port.

"Wonder what this is used for?" she idly asked as she moved her hands over the controls to put the ship in standby and looked out of the viewport at he white fluffy steam as it lifted for the orange hued sky.

"I have no idea." Kyp finished with his controls and unfastened his crash harness. He opened the canopy and said, "But I really don't want to find out either. That steam will be hot, watch yourself."

"Yes, _Master_," Jaina replied sardonically then added her voice softening despite trying to keep it sarcastic, "You, watch yourself."

They leapt from the ship and threw their helmets back into the cockpit. Their eyes met and, although Kyp responded flippantly with, "Yes, _Goddess_," their eyes held nothing but sincerity.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 **

They found a tunnel near the exhaust vent and followed it into the facility. The narrow curved tunnel was dark with the only lamination being the glow sticks they each carried. They were on guard and opened to the Force as they navigated down the long length and peered upon the strange pit like formations along the cavern wall. Jaina looked around and felt a very odd sensation through the Force of a familiarity she could not even begin to explain.

Kyp sensing her confusion and growing apprehension glanced questioningly at her, "You okay?"

She turned her intense eyes to him and said uncertainly, "I—I don't know. You don't feel anything?"

Kyp shook his head, "Like what? Danger?" He added and immediately pulled his lightsaber off his belt and looked around. She was making him nervous.

"No. It's almost like I should know this place. It's like something happened here." She was quiet for several moments.

Kyp was more concerned than before, "Is it from your vision?"

She shook her head and concentrated then she quietly said, "It's almost like this place has an importance to—to me in being."

"In being? What is that supposed to mean?" Kyp asked with more frustration than he intended but he was not at all comfortable in the dark tunnel whether it was Jaina's apprehension or his memories of being in the Kessel mines he was unsure.

She shook her head again as much to response to his question as to clear her head and senses. "I have no idea. Just forget it."

Kyp pinched his brows together and stared at her. "Okay. But you were the one who brought it up."

She didn't respond to him; she was still trying to get the feeling out of her head. Suddenly, her danger sense spiked the same time Kyp's did and they ignited their sabers at the same instant.

The four large winged creatures attacked them from the dark pits that were along the walls. Jaina and Kyp quickly disposed of them leaving one dead and the other three shrieking as they licked their injuries and limped away. The Jedi were taking calming breaths and searching the dark when ten to fifteen more attacked from all directions. They quickly reduced their numbers and the remaining dark winged beings finally gave up and flitted away shrieking.

Breathing deeply, Kyp looked around and deactivated his blade when he saw and felt no more danger. He said, "Guess that was the welcoming committee."

"Well, let's just hope there's no more." Jaina responded as she cautiously deactivated her lightsaber. She wrinkled her nose as she toed one of the dead grotesque creatures with her boot. "What are these things? They are almost as disgusting as the Killiks."

Kyp looked at her with surprise and smirked, "Don't know but I thought you liked bugs."

Her response was to glare at him and quietly say, "Well, sometimes they were better company than you." She pushed ahead of him and started down the tunnel again.

Kyp immediately regretted his response as he felt her hurt at his jibe and followed her, "Hey, I'm sorry for that," He caught her arm and she looked up at him. "Let's get out of this tunnel it gives me the creeps."

"Yeah, me too."

Finally, they came to the end of the tunnel and were faced with a metal door, "Sithspit!" Kyp exclaimed as he glanced around trying to find the door controls.

Jaina found the panel first and turned to him, "We need the code—"

"Yeah, right. Stand back." Kyp glance at the control then pulled the blaster he was wearing and shot through the casing. As the ensuing sparks and smoke cleared, the door screeched open. He grinned lopsided at her and quipped, "Since when? Learned that one from your dad."

"Show off," she scoffed as she stepped through the opening only to find a sharp drop off as the floor ended. They stopped and gaped at the massive antique factory machinery all in motion and clanging noisily. Huge kettle-like vats were moving under an opening from which red-hot metal alloy was being poured into them. Conveyer belts directly below them was moving in different directions criss-crossing each other as massive machines connected to the belts moved in chopping motions to either pound, press or cut the cooling alloy into droid parts.

"Sith, look at his place," Kyp said incredulously as he peered around.

"This place is ancient. How can this turn out battle droids? It's a dump."

"Yeah." They were quiet again for a few moments as they looked for a way down the fifteen or so meters to the factory floor. "Doesn't look like there's an easy way down. We'll have to jump."

She met his gaze, "Great." Levitating herself was never a strong skill of hers.

"Here, we'll do it together. You lower me and I'll lower you." Kyp smiled at her and turned to her. They pulled the Force to them and pressed their palms together. "On the count of three—one—two—jump!" They stepped of the ledge and used the Force to gently lower the other down to the floor.

Once settled Jaina pulled the datapad from her backpack and powered up the map of the facility that the Imperial sources provided of the Clone Wars era factory. She pinpointed their location with the geo-locator and began to look for a way out of the factory to the control room where the central computer would be found. "There, that will lead us to a stairway. The control room is on the sixth level above us," she pointed to the left and headed in that direction with Kyp following behind keeping a leery eye out.

X

Marolosa sat at the desk in his stark office when the signal beeped. He looked up to see a sentry droid of his own design standing at the opening door. The droid stepped into the office and Marolosa's natural blue eye narrowed in a menacing expression while the mechanical one stared taking in information the human one missed. He said in a rich deep voice, "Yes?"

"Master, there seems to be an intrusion in Sector 24A," the droid responded in an emotionless mechanical voice.

Marolosa hit the keys on the computer that would bring into being a hologram of that particular sector. His human eye squinted as he gazed at the image that appeared over the holoplate.

Then the corner of his left upper lip curved upward which bared his teeth. His lower jaw had been replaced with one of metal as was most of the right side of his face and skull. Marolosa's living brain still remembered when he could smile. He had melted more than one woman's heart with it when he was totally human. He had been quite a womanizer at nearly two meters tall, shoulder length curly sandy blond hair and bright blue eyes. He was well respected and actually feared in the world of smuggling. He had acquired quite a fortune, building on the pittance his father had left him after he had him killed.

He had a real life before that Jedi squadron attacked his ship outside of Nal Hutta. That was nearly thirteen years ago. The rogue Jedi squadron of fourteen fighters attacked him, blowing his ship up and causing him to escape in a pod that didn't launch quickly enough and was caught in the blast.

He couldn't remember the actual explosion. But he was discovered by one of his lieutenants several minutes later and was told that he was burned and broken and barely alive. The young subordinate took him to Naboo and turned him over to a droid designer relative who promptly began to rebuild him. It would not have been so bad if that uncle knew anything at all about cyborg technology, a lapse in knowledge he eventually paid for with his life.

One month later he awoke in terrible pain to find over half of his body had been replaced with cyborg parts. All of his limbs were gone and ones of alloy, wires and gears were in their place. His right side of his head and face and his lower jaw were now cold unyielding metal. But worst of all was the pain and confusion of the transplanted computer processor in his damaged right side of his brain. He wore silver and black body armor that reminded him vaguely of Darth Vader.

He watched the two figures as they moved into the doorway to the main stairway and remembered that first year when he nearly went mad from the constant pain and the continual bombardment of information from the computer part of his brain. It took him another six months to learn to only process the needed information and how to interface with what was left of his living brain.

Eventually, he was able to regain his operations, but not before he thanked the young lieutenant who risked his life to save him by killing him with his own two hands. That same lieutenant who had his father's blue eyes and sandy blond hair, his height and good looks but had inherited too much of his mother's compassion and honesty for his own good. The son who had ran the business with hopes of becoming a partner after his father's incapacity ended. He was thankful to be alive; it was the way in which he now had to live that was a fate far worse than death; a life of which he could never forgive his son for condemning him to.

However, during the war, he did find it very profitable to be in a self exile on Naboo and let his other lieutenants run things. His organization became one of the best in the Peace Brigade while those barbarians the Yuuzhan Vong ravaged the galaxy. He often wondered what they would have thought if they had known one of their most trustworthy and resourceful Brigadiers was the ultimate abomination of human and machine. Fortunately for him, even his lieutenants did not know his identity which allowed him to sit back and watch as many of them were rounded up in the years following the war and executed for war crimes. In the past six years since the war he had been able turn what was left of his smuggling and pirating outfit into an organization as big and powerful as the Black Sun had been in the days of the Empire

"Master?" the droid questioned.

Marolosa looked up from the hologram and his musings and said in almost an awestruck tone, "I've waited thirteen years for today. Finally, I will have my revenge." He looked back down at the figures of a beautiful female and that of Jedi Master Kyp Durron and a harsh mechanical laugh erupted from him that was both mirthless and hysterical. Then he turned his attention to the droid and said menacingly, "Capture them but do not kill them. I want to play with them for a while to see what they are up to. I need to come up with a plan of how best dispose the galaxy of Master Jedi Kyp Durron once and for all. But first, I need to find out who the beautiful young woman is and what she means to him. She may prove to be very useful in Durron's torture and if she is Jedi, which I assume she is, it will pleasure me further to rid us of one more of them as well." He then turned back to the hologram, an insane gleam in his left blue eye.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 **

Kyp and Jaina headed up the circular stair/ramp and made it up three levels before they were headed off by a quartet of battle droids. As they attempted to head down a long corridor from the landing, another quartet approached them, effectively boxing them in and opening fire on them.

While Jaina and Kyp stood back to back defecting the laser fire, Kyp quipped but with little humor, "Guess we were discovered."

Jaina deflected another of the blue laser beams back into the droid that shot it at her. She was surprised when nothing seemed to happen to the droid. "Kyp, I don't think they want us dead. They're shooting stun blasts."

"Great," he said as he stepped forward. "Happy to hear that. Of course, they don't want us dead. They want to know who we are." His tone filled with frustration as he parried another barrage of blasts. He took a few more steps forward and then struck with a slashing motion, cutting down two of the four droids. He continued with his litany, "And who sent us…" Then he leaped in a twisting motion toward the other two who were trying to out flank him. He parried their blasts easily and struck with his saber decapitating one and leveling the other one at its middle. Then he finished as he landed on his feet by saying, "…And what we are doing here."

Jaina wasn't really listening to him; she was too busy with the four droids facing her. She stepped forward toward her quartet at the same time Kyp had. She tricked the droids into bunching closer together and turning away from Kyp's back by weaving from one side to the other; they were trying to find her center which she seemingly kept open. Once she was close enough to them, Jaina dropped to the floor, she parried two shots on the way down then let go of her ignited saber. She used the Force to propel the spinning weapon through the air. Before the droids could process what happened to their ever-moving target, three of them were cut in half. She rolled her body out of the line of fire of the remaining droid's blast and used a Force-shove to topple the mechanical soldier. She jumped up and caught her lightsaber as she regained her feet. She then easily decapitated the droid as it was trying to get up.

She turned to Kyp who had finished with his droids seconds before she did. He was coming toward her to help but instead stopped to stare at her.

"Stang, where did you learn moves like that?" he asked in admiration.

She grinned and clipped her deactivated saber onto her belt and then patted him on the arm. She said as she stepped past him and pulled the datapad from her belt, "My uncle."

"Oh." He truly was impressed with the concentration that move would have required to execute. She was headed back towards the stair. He clipped his saber on his belt and followed.

They warily moved up the next level. The progress was slowed down as they hid from another squad of battle droids at the forth level landing. They continued up once the way was clear only to find more droids waiting for them on the fifth. This time though they were quickly outnumbered as reinforcements arrived from several different directions, surrounding them. The Jedi worked feverishly to deflect the blasts as they came at them from all directions. But the whirling sabers all too soon became overwhelmed to deflect them. Jaina was the first to be hit in the shoulder with a stun blast. She let out a startled exclamation as she fell to the floor unconscious.

"Jaina!" Kyp yelled, losing his concentration and was hit with a blue blast in the chest. He landed about a meter away from his fallen love.

X

Marolosa watched with grudging fascination as the Jedi fought the first group of battle droids. He didn't think that eight of them would stop the Jedi but it would slow them down and allow him to watch Jaina Solo's skill. He had done a HoloNet cross match and quickly and quite easily discovered the identity of the famous hero of the Vong War and former Joiner of the Chiss-Killik conflict. Now all that remained was discovering if she held any special meaning to the Jedi Master. He was hoping that she did because it would make his plan all the more enjoyable.

The cyborg sat back in his chair and said at the intercom mike as he watched Jaina Solo bring down the last of the droids she was battling, "Prepare my transport. We will be headed to Factory A. And bring at least four ysalamiri, they will prove very useful, I think." Marolosa had kept and bred the Force-repelling creatures for the past ten years and always had several placed around him at all times.

He then opened the upper drawer of his desk and pulled out a small metallic box. He thumbed the latch and after it identified him it opened to reveal a dart. It was an assassin's dart a similar type that was very common during the later days of the Old Republic and believed preferred by Jango Fett. Marolosa had several of the darts made from a relic he found once on a planet near the edge of Wild Space. After extensive research he discovered it was a saberdart from Kamino. The actual dart could not be completely copied but he was able to discover enough to create very close replica. He used them to assassinate those who had the courage or the stupidity to try to double cross him.

He picked up the dart, turning it over in his hand. He smiled because he had this one filled with a very special toxin and he now knew exactly what he would do with it. He carefully put he dart back into its box. He closed the box and grasped it in his fist, with his other hand he reached into the same drawer and pulled out the gun from which he would use to shoot the dart. Smiling more insanely than before he stood and brought it along with him as he left for the transport that would take him the fifty kilometers to the factory where he hoped to seek his revenge.

X

Kyp was the first to come to. At first he was confused, his mouth was dry and his head hurt. He reached up and rubbed his temple, his arm and hand feeling as if he was in a very low gravity. He was lying on his back on a cold, hard stone floor. As he tried to move, he discovered his back hurt as well, as if he had been lying in that position for much too long.

"Awww," he groaned as he opened his eyes very gingerly against the bright light from over head. He eventually sat and squint his eyes against the pain caused from the bright lights. He looked around to find Jaina stirring several meters away. "Jaina, you okay?"

Finally, she moved her hand to her head, "Ouch!" After she awkwardly sat up and rubbing her temples, she declared, "I really hate being stunned."

"Yeah, it's like a hangover without any of the fun." Then he looked around the cell to take stock of the situation. "Wonder where we are?"

Jaina rubbed her back to find that she still had her datapad tucked into her belt. She pulled it out and after a few minutes she announced, "We're on the sixth level not far from the control room."

Kyp stared at her datapad and smiled, "Well, we now know that these droids are stupid. They would have taken that if they had two credits worth of intelligence. Even Threepio isn't that dumb without Artoo."  
Kyp stared at the door and closed his eyes to concentrate. First, he shunted away his growing aches and pains. Then, he took a deep breath falling further into the rhythm of the Force. He let his perception expand to outside of the locked steel door. After a few minutes he opened his eyes to find Jaina sitting beside him closely watching him. He said, "There are three guards outside the door. And at least two more down the hall. I sensed our lightsabers and probably our blasters in that room with those guards."

Jaina turned her attention to the door. "Do you think you can open it?"

Kyp slowly stood, a brief wave of lingering dizziness passed over him. After he steadied his spinning world, he moved to the door and laid his hand over locking mechanism. "It should be simple enough to open. It's a mechanical lock not electronic."

"That's ancient technology for you," she smiled. "Even Ma'lil could probably open that." She then stood and after she steadied herself from a similar wave of dizziness, she moved to stand beside him. She brushed her backside as if to brush off excessive dirt. Kyp watched her as she pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she often did in deep thought. He couldn't help but smile. She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"I was just thinking of what I'm going to do to you after we get out of here."

She grinned and blushed, "Emm… I can't wait. So, tell me what do you have planned?" Then she grew serious and sent through the Force, _This is too easy. We're being watched._

_I know_, Kyp sent back to Jaina, _We're probably being led into a trap._ He lopsidedly grinned and said aloud, "Well, I think it definitely includes a long hot shower together and several backrubs."

Jaina put her hand on his arm and her brown eyes burned into his. Her beautiful mouth twisted into a Solo grin as she sent, _Well, we'll just have to spring the trap, won't we?_ Then she said, "I'm definitely interested in that. But I'm hoping you don't stop with just backrubs."

He smiled and bent down and captured her lips in a quick but still passionate kiss. He pulled back and whispered, "I'll not only rub your back as much as you want but anything else as well." His green eyes glittered mischievously.

Kyp then turned his attention to the door. He waved his hand over the lock and a soft click followed. He then looked down at her, their minds completely open to the other. He gazed into her eyes and asked, "You ready?"

She returned his open gaze and gripped his forearm. She looked so beautiful in that instant. Kyp found himself lost in the moment; he bent down and kissed her again sending to her through their bond, _I love you, my beautiful Goddess, I always have and always will._

She reluctantly broke the kiss and smiled, _And I love you my Mortal Knight. _Then she said aloud, "Now, I'm ready."

The next wave of Kyp's hand opened the door with a screech. The three droids immediately turned their attention to their escaping captives. However, before they could fire their weapons, Jaina was ready with a Force shove that threw them across the corridor into the wall, smashing them.

Kyp watched as she stepped over to pick up two of the discarded blasters, turning the selector switch to kill. She handed one to Kyp and he snickered, "Remind me to never make you mad enough to want to throw me across a room." He followed her lead and turned up the dial to full power.

She chuckled, "Yeah, I did that to Jag once. He was mad at me for a little while."

"Oh?" He raised a dark eyebrow. But before she had a chance to answer the two battle droids came around the curve in the corridor from the room Kyp had said their lightsabers were in. Quickly, dropping and rolling to the walls in opposite directions, they avoided the volley of stun blasts. However, before they were able to find their targets, Jaina and Kyp immediately responded with a volley of their own leaving smoking holes in the droids chest plates.

They recovered their feet and ran down the hall to the room to retrieve their lightsabers, packs and blasters. Jaina looked around the darkened room, the only light coming from hundreds of blinking indicator lights on the computers. "Wait a minute," she said excitedly as she looked at the wall of computers.

Kyp turned from where he was about to exit the door way, "What is it?"

She pulled the datapad from her belt again and scanned it. She looked up at him with a large Solo grin on her face. "This is the control room."

He matched her smile and said, "Well, then I'll keep watch and you, Goddess, work your magic." He moved back to the doorway and ignited his lightsaber.

Jaina quickly set about and in finding a port; she plugged her datapad into it. She then keyed in the sequence that would initiate the upload from the control computer. As soon as she heard the beep that indicated the upload was complete, she pulled a datachip from another pouch on her belt. She found a datachip port and plugged it in. She then keyed another sequence that would begin the download of the virus. As soon as a beep sounded she quickly unplugged her datapad to prevent it from being corrupted. She turned to find Kyp watching her in fascination.

She cleared her throat and grinned, "I thought you were the lookout."

"I am." He smiled and went on to add as she shook her head, "I'm looking for both the bad guys and am looking at the most beautiful woman in the Galaxy. The bad guys don't seem to be coming so I decided to look at you."

"Durron, you are impossible," she chuckled as she pushed past him to move out the door.

He quickly followed, "How long before they shut down?"

"I don't know. But let's get out of here." She turned and smiled brightly, "I'm looking forward to that backrub."

Just then several dozen battle droids came down the corridor from the direction of the cell that they had awakened in moments before. Kyp reignited his saber and Jaina ignited hers as they turned to head down the hall in the opposite direction. She throw over her shoulder, "Kriff, I guess that backrub will have to wait just a little while longer."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19 **

They rounded another corner and were in a junction of another corridor only to run into more battle droids coming from the direction they were headed. They changed direction to run down the adjacent hall with the growing number of droids pursuing them.

Kyp blocked another stun blast and said frustrated, "Didn't Ghent tell us the shut down should happen soon after the download?"

Jaina batted away another blast sending it back at the droid who shot it, "Not really, he only said it would happen. I don't know much about that sort of thing, but I guess it depends on how often the virus needs to mutate to work through any changes to the system." She finished just in time to swat at two more blasts and to stop in her tracks as another squad of droids were coming from the direction they were headed.

"Stang! The vapin' things have us surrounded," Kyp stopped and swore. They were standing in the middle of a large open room with nowhere to go. Suddenly though, the shooting stopped and Kyp watched as the new arrivals parted and another group of larger droids came forward. Jaina who had been facing the other direction gasped as the squads before her also parted to allow the sturdier droids to come through.

As the point droids moved closer to the Jedi, Jaina recognized the nutrient frames and the creatures attached to them at the same time the Force seemed to be cut off from her. Kyp turned towards her and their eyes met momentarily; they knew they were in trouble. The trap indeed had been sprung, they were able to do the download, but they still had a fight ahead of them.

"Well," a rich, deep voice sounded.

Jaina gasped as they both turned towards the sound.

"Marolosa," Kyp stiffened as the cyborg stepped even closer.

Jaina felt frozen as she found herself staring the hideous face of the half machine, half human with one bright blue eye that gleamed with insanity that had haunted her sleep for over the past month. She reached over and grabbed Kyp's arm. "Kyp," her voice shook from the icy fear and was barely above a whisper, "it's him."

Marolosa raised the fleshy corner of his upper lip baring his teeth. It was the most terrifying expression she had ever seen. "Well, well, Master Jedi Kyp Durron, I see you survived the Vong invasion." His blue eye turned towards Jaina, and he stepped even closer. Jaina shuddered as he stepped before her, "I'm actually impressed, Durron, Jaina Solo? And from the interaction I was privy to; I'm assuming you're more than just her Jedi _master_."

"Leave her out of this, Marolosa. Your grudge is with me." Kyp slowly moved away from Jaina and began to make small circular motions with his ignited lightsaber.

Marolosa looked from Jaina to Kyp and stepped back again. He was fingering some type of small weapon in his hand. Jaina suddenly felt even colder. Then the cyborg said menacingly, "Wrong, Durron. I want you to suffer as much as I have before you die." The weapon suddenly came up and before Jaina even realized what was happening, Marolosa pulled the trigger. Kyp was hit in the shoulder with a dart that instantly rendered him paralyzed. He lost the grip on his saber and it deactivated before hitting the stone floor about the same time its owner did.

"_Kyp_!" Jaina moved to go to him but was immediately restrained from behind by droids and by the others who had their blasters all trained on her. Another of the droids took her lightsaber from her stunned hand. She stared at the man she loved and more plaintively cried, "_Kyp_!"

Marolosa continued as if Jaina never interfered in his tirade, "So, I intend for you to watch as I destroy something you love."

Kyp tried to move but couldn't, Jaina looked from his crumpled body to Marolosa, "What did you do to him?" Suddenly anger and anguish began to replace some of the fear.

"Oh, not to worry, my dear, the toxin is quick to paralyze the victim but kills very slowly. He will live long enough to watch me destroy you. Then he will die a very painful and slow death." The cyborg said as nonchalantly as one discusses the weather.

Jaina watched as a droid handed Marolosa Kyp's lightsaber. He turned it over and over in his hand as he inspected it. Then he hit the activation stud and made that hideous expression that passed as his smile as he watched the lavender blade come to life with the familiar snap-hiss.

"I have become quite a student of history," he said as he began moving the saber in an experimental way, watching the blade as it cut through the air with its gentle thrum. "One being in particular has impressed me, a cyborg by the name of General Grievous. He was the Supreme Commander of the droid army of the Separatists during the Clone Wars." He then made a wide slashing motion with the saber and went on, "He would collect the lightsabers of the Jedi who fell to him in battle. He had quite a collection by the time he was hunted down and killed." He stopped in his exaggerated slashes and wide circles and looked at Jaina and she shuddered at its intensity, "He was supposedly destroyed by Obi-Wan Kenobi only days before another cyborg came to into being—Darth Vader."

Jaina gaped at him and tried to keep recognition from her face but it was useless. Marolosa laughed mirthlessly and feigned surprise, "Oh, I forgot. Obi-Wan was your uncle's first master and of course, Darth Vader was your grandfather. And now you will be destroyed by a cyborg."

"Let—her—go—" Kyp breathed.

"No, I think not." Marolosa made another circle around Jaina. She turned her head and watched him as she struggled against the droid who held her upper arms but it only increased its grip on her. The droid that had taken her saber handed it to the cyborg. She watched as he ignited it and held it up before him. He smiled again as he compared the sabers, "Interesting, they are so similar. Their color is nearly identical." He then deactivated both sabers and weighed and studied them. "I do think I like your lightsaber better, Miss Solo," he looked again at her.

She was wondering what he had in mind for her. He then handed the droid Kyp's saber and began brandishing hers as he had Kyp's. But suddenly his motions stopped being exaggerated and experimental and became very expert. "What do you want with me?" Jaina seethed as the droid holding her pushed her forward.

He looked from the saber to her again and then looked at the prone Kyp and said, "Well, I was sincerely hoping that someday I'd put all of that sword training and extra programming I've had done to good use."

Jaina looked around at the droids hoping that they would soon shut down. Marolosa must have caught her sweep of the room; he responded, "Oh, and your pitiful computer virus scheme." Jaina snapped her attention back to him and he laughted, "Yes, I know about that. There isn't much that happens in GFFA Intel that I don't know about. I was even expecting a visit from nosy Jedi someday. But I have to admit I never in my wildest dreams could have hoped for Kyp Durron to be among them." Then he went on to explain, "Don't worry your pathetic virus may effect the computer that controls the factories but as long as I'm alive my army will live. And as soon as I'm finished with my entertainment I can easily fix whatever you think you may have done to the control system." Jaina instantly felt defeated. The mission may have been a complete failure and worse there was spy in the Intelligence branch.

X

Kyp was helpless; all he could do was lay there and watch the events unfold in ever growing haze. He could feel a sharp pain in his chest as his heart was affected by the poison and his breathing was becoming difficult due to the excruciating pain in his lungs. Every muscle in his body felt as if it was on fire while his skin felt like he was laying naked on Hoth. His brain wanted him to shiver but his ridged skin was not able to. Kyp was in complete agony but he was not concerned about himself, he was frightened for his Goddess.

His mind, however, seemed to be perfectly clear as he watched Marolosa's droids push Jaina into the center of the Force repelling bubble produced by the four ysalamiri. Marolosa handed a waiting droid Kyp's saber and Kyp watched in growing dread as it handed the saber back to a frightened Jaina whose hand shook as she took it and stared at it. Kyp could only imagine what was going through Jaina's mind.

"How fitting to be killed by your own weapon," Marolosa snickered.

Jaina though swallowed her some of her fear and defiantly looked up at the cyborg. She said through gritted teeth as she gripped the hilt of Kyp's lightsaber so hard her knuckles were white, "That's what you think, Marolosa."

"Oh, we shall see if you truly have skill or what makes you good is the Force." Marolosa suddenly became a whirlwind of lavender light as he moved Jaina's saber through a complicated sequence that was nearly too fast to see.

Jaina's face blanched as she watched. Kyp silently prayed that she did not let her fear paralyze her. Jaina was no novice at swordsmanship but she never had to over come so much fear before without drawing on the Force. Marolosa didn't need the Force, Kyp reflected, he had enhanced movements and a computer processor for a brain to calculate every one of Jaina's hesitant moves.

Kyp watched in agony as Jaina awkwardly parried a wicked lunge. He found himself reflecting on the past month and felt a great unending sorrow, because even if Jaina beat Marolosa there wasn't a certainty that he could be saved. If he could have, he would have cried. After nearly twelve years of loving a woman who he thought didn't love him, and finally now having her, he may never live to see their love grow into the beautiful thing he knew it could be. _Maybe the Force did punish those who used it to do terrible deeds?_

Another of Jaina's strikes brought him out of his self-pity and he witnessed Jaina become the Sword of the Jedi.

X

Jaina was being pushed further and further into making mistakes, wild and poorly timed parries. Her defenses were beginning to crumble. She was a good swordsman but she was having difficulty predicting the cyborg without the Force. She suddenly wished she had practiced more without using it when she had sparred with Kyp.

_Kyp—_

The thought that he could die instantly brought anger and determination to her. She couldn't use the anger to bring on the Dark Side power she suddenly wished she could but she used it to bring clarity of thinking. She immediately began to think of a way to turn the battle around.

She parried another of Marolosa's perfect strikes, but this time the parry was well placed and forceful. She was able to hold the enemy's sword long enough to leap away from him and outside of the circle he had her confined to. Even without the Force, she realized she still had her athletic ability and years of training. She then lunged. She must have surprised the cyborg. Because, although, he parried her strike; his furious flurry of thrusts and lunges stopped momentarily.

Jaina nearly smiled; her unpredicted move confused him. She immediately made another leap, this time she landed next to one of the droids that held an ysalamir. She feinted a high lunge but in the last second she slashed low throwing him off. He jumped back to prevent having his legs being cut from under him. That was the move she was hoping for, it gave her enough advantage to allow her to twist and bring the saber down through the ysalamri and the droid that held it.

Instantly, droids trained their blasters on her. Marolosa moved around waving her saber point down; his eyes never left her as he said, "At ease, she is mine."

Jaina was breathing hard as she used the moment to regroup and calculate her next move. She knew he would not fall for that again. He moved towards her again and she turned so that her back was towards one of the other ysalamiri holding droids. Her thrust was easily parried and he immediately lunged. She parried and twisted away from him, he followed and slashed low causing her to leap above it and parry. She used another leap to get further away and as she parried yet another trust, she back flipped away from him and right in front of the droid. She came up with an upward slash and cut the droid into two smoking halves along with the creature on the frame it was holding.

Marolosa rushed her and she suddenly realized she was surprising him with her skill. That encouraged her. She matched his thrusts, lunges, slashes and parries as she began to push him towards the opposite side of the fighting area. She needed to get to the other ysalamiri. She side stepped to get around him and once there she did another back flip. She didn't think she would be able to trick him again but it would get her closer to the droid. But luck must have been shining on her at that instant, because as the droid tried to move away from her it became top heavy and fell. She parried a lunge and twisted away from the cyborg. Before the droid could regain its feet, she stabbed the animal on the frame. The Force filled her senses like water through a dam break. She immediately used it to shove the droid to the floor and to leap into the circle of the remaining ysalamiri that was moving towards her.

The Force was stripped from her so fast that it caused her to gasp. Marolosa watched her and she knew by the smile that twisted his face that she had just played into his hands. The pause was nearly fatal as Marolosa struck again. She nearly missed his downward slash and it would have cut her in half if she hadn't fallen to the floor and rolled away. As it was, the saber connected with her shoulder nearly knocking Kyp's lightsaber from her hand leaving a blackened painful gash.

Marolosa laughed as he raised her lightsaber above her. Suddenly, it all became clear. She had been a fool, it wasn't Kyp the cyborg of her vision was raising the lightsaber above, it was her. She was to come here so that both she and Kyp could be killed.

_Nooo_—Her very being screamed at her. She was not going to die here. _I'm the Sword of the Jedi…_

As Marolosa began to bring down the lightsaber she had built so many years ago, she gripped the hilt of the saber of the man she loved and brought it up with a determination born from her love, anger, anguish and desperation. Kyp's lavender blade burned through the chest plate of the cyborg. He stumbled back a surprised look in the blue eye. Then as he fell forward, he smiled. He was dead by the time he hit the floor, the saber turning his human heart into a blackened piece of charcoal.

She shakily regained her feet and picked up the lightsabers. She moved out of the Force-less bubble and readied herself to repel the blasts from the droids when suddenly the droids began to shut down. After realizing what was happening she killed the forth and final ysalamir and immediately ran to Kyp.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 **

Master Corran Horn was pacing again and stroking his grey streaked brown goatee. He did not like not knowing what was happening. He was acting captain of the _Marauder_-class corvette _Sunrise_ and felt that it was his responsibility to know. Durron and Jaina should have checked in by now and he was beginning to worry that something had happened. He tried to stretch his feelings out into the Force to find them but he couldn't. It was unnerving to say the least. He really had not liked this plan but he could not see any other way to accomplish what needed to be done. He had originally been against the Jedi taking an active roll in the Moorex but after seeing the Intelligence reports along with what Kyp had found out, not to mention seeing for himself the massive build up of firepower around the orbit of Geonosis, he admitted that the pirates needed stopped and soon.

"Here come some more. It's almost like they are preparing for a fight." Master Kyle Katran said from where he was studying the latest data from the long range scanners. Corran stepped over to also examine the data as Kyle looked up and grinned, "Durron may have actually been right about this gang,"

Corran looked at his fellow Jedi Master and friend and snorted, "Yeah, just don't tell him that he may have been right, his ego has been inflated beyond its normal proportions lately."

Kyle laughed, "Do you think having Jaina Solo hanging on his arm may have something to do with that?"

Valin Horn laughed from where he and Jedi Knight Doran Tainer were working at the comm unit with a Bothan technician. Doran, who was the son of former Wraith Kell Tainer and Jedi Tyria Sarkin Tainer, said between chuckles, "Well, that lip lock we saw the old man put on her the other day in the hanger definitely is more than I ever want my master to put on me!"

"Tainer, your mother was your master," Valin reminded his friend. "I really hope she doesn't kiss you like that! Besides, we all know that you want to be locking lips with my _little_ sister." Doran sent his best friend a glare then cautiously looked back at Corran.

Corran in turn gave the twenty-six year old son of his friend a threatening look but did not respond to his son's comment about his eighteen year old daughter and the older Jedi. Instead, he said to a much amused Kyle, "To answer your question, Kyle, I think you're right. I'm actually surprised it took them this long. I saw it coming since the Vong War."

Suddenly, the Mon Calamarian ensign who was the technician working the long range scanners turned and excitedly announced, "Masters, I have several ships coming out of hyperspace at baring 2-0-1."

The Jedi Masters spared a glance at each other then immediately turned their attention to the scanners. Then the Bothan female ensign at the comm station looked up at Valin and Doran and announced, "Captain, they are hailing us."

"Put it through, Ensign Fla'zul," Corran replied as he stepped away from Kyle and the scanners.

Finally, after a brief burst of static a very familiar voice came through the speakers, "This is Captain Han Solo of _Millennium Falcon_. Do you copy?"

"Han?" Corran let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "What are you doing here? And since when did the _Falcon_ come with company?

"Oh, these are some friends of mine who will help get my daughter and that bantha-brained fiancé of hers off that rock."

"Han!" Leia's voice came over the comm, "That is not to be public knowledge yet."

Corran and Kyle exchanged sly grins and the younger Jedi out-right laughed.

The Mon Cal scanner tech announced that the friend or foe transceiver identified the complement of ships with the _Millennium Falcon _as Hapen battle dragons including _The Warror Queen_ the flagship of Prince Jacen Solo-D'jo, _Errant Venture_, _Wild Karrde _and other ships owned by Talon Karrde, Lando Carlrissian's _Lady Luck_, and ships owned by Chev Bombassa.

Before Corran could respond, another voice crackled to life and Corran groaned when he realized it was that of his father-in-law. "Well, I see I need to get you out of yet another sticky situation, CorSec. You'd think all that I have time to do is rescue Jedi. I'm glad I still have my Star Destroyer because you'd been dead years ago. Not that I'd be overly disappointed, but Mirax and the kids seem to like keeping you around."

Valin chuckled and before Corran could recover from Booster Terrik's insult, said, "Hello, Granddad. Glad that you could crash the party. It's always fun when you're around."

Corran shot his son a glare because he knew exactly what Valin meant by 'fun'.

Suddenly another voice entered the mix, "This is Jacen Solo, Prince Consort of Hapes. We ask permission to also join the party."

"Jacen! Uh, I guess that should be Your Highness, we'd be glad to have you," Corran responded.

"Oh, please, Corran, don't swell the kid's head any more than it already is," Han Solo cut in before Jacen could answer. The comm crackled with laughter from the other captains who were joining the open comm channel.

Jacen ignored his father's jibe and the laughter and said instead, "Where's Jaina? I can sense that she's in trouble. She is frightened and maybe hurt."

Corran exchanged glances with the other three Jedi and responded, "She and Kyp were due back hours ago and we have not had contact with them."

Han came back somewhat angrily, "Then what are we doing hiding behind the sun. I knew I should have come along on this mission. I had a bad feeling after Kyp told me about Jaina's vision. Let's get down to that worthless piece of rock and get them back."

Kyle answered for the _Sunrise_, "We were just debating how we were going to do that. There's a lot of firepower out there."

"Why do you think we're here? To look pretty?" Booster Terrik's gruff voice answered for the unlikely battle fleet that looked as ungainly as the pirate vessels they would be attacking.

Corran could only smile; it was just like old times, "No, Booster, I'd never think that you looked pretty—" he let his voice trail off.

Before Booster could respond his son-in-law's insult, Kyle said as another comm came through, "We're getting a call from the surface."

Static gave way to Jaina's tearful voice, " _Sunrise_, do you copy? Please, _Sunrise_, come in. Do you copy?"

"Jaina! It's Kyle, we copy."

"Kyle!" the relief in her voice was almost tangible and her words spilled from her in a gush. "Kyle, please, you have to help me. Kyp is hurt and they destroyed our Y-Wing. Marolosa injected him with something and now he is paralyzed and will die if we don't get him medical treatment soon. Please, Kyle, I don't know how long he has to live. He feels so cold and his breathing is becoming labored. I helped put him into a healing trance but I don't know if it is helping…" She finished with a sob.

"Whoa, Jaina," Kyle responded, "Slow down." He looked with purpose to Corran then said, "We're sending some one in to get you. But did you say Marolosa was on the surface?"

"Yes, please, hurry," she sniffed. They could tell she was crying and near breakdown. But she added as she seemed to get some control, "I killed him and the droids shut down."

"Jaina, we're on our way," Corran said, and then the link with Jaina went dead. He looked out the forward view port and scoffed to the others on the bridge, "We almost look as ragtag as the Moorex."

"Yeah, but we have Han Solo, Talon Karrde, Lando Carlrissian and Granddad," Valin pointed out with a wide grin. "We definitely have the advantage."

"Not to mention some very good Jedi," Doran added.

Corran slapped his son on the shoulder and nodded, "Well, then let's go and show them who's boss. You and Doran go get your sister and then get to your X-Wings. Have the techs get mine prepped as well." He took a deep breath and added, "We'll escort the _Falcon_ in."

Kyle quizzically looked at the other Master and inquired, "The _Falcon_?"

Corran chuckled and nodded towards the other ships, "We may as well help get him and Leia down there because I know we won't be able to keep Han from going in to rescue his little girl."

Corran then said over the open tactical frequency again with the motley array of ships positioned behind the Geonosis primary, "Okay, people, this is temporary captain of the _Sunrise_ and we are here to shut down some pirates and rescue Jedi Knight Jaina Solo and Master Kyp Durron from the planet's surface. Master Durron is wounded and is in need of immediate medical care."

That was all Han needed to hear, "Corran, I'm going in."

Corran shrugged and gave Kyle an I-told-you-so look, "I was hoping you'd volunteer, Han, and your escort will be there momentarily. Now it's up to the rest of us to put these guys out of commission. Jaina has informed us that Marolosa has been killed and the droids have been shut down."

"That's what we are here for, CorSec. If you'd shut up and let us get to it," Booster's exasperated voice brought a chorus of laughter from the battle group of ex-smugglers, onetime pirates, swindlers turned businessmen and a Jedi Hapan Prince.

X

The battle group jumped out from behind the sun in two different vectors. They decided that since surprise was with them, they would use that to their advantage. Jacen's Hapan battle dragons, their contingency of fighters and Chev Bombassa's ships jumped in first. While the larger ships laid cover fire, the fighters attacked.

While discussing the battle plan, Jacen had suggested letting him engage first. Corran voiced concern over what could be perceived as a Hapen attack on GFFA vessels, but Jacen justified it by pointing out that the Moorex were as much trouble to the Hapan Consortium as they were to the Alliance. That seemed to satisfy the Jedi and Jacen was allowed to attack first. As his ships took the pirates off guard, Kyle who now commanded the _Sunrise_, the _Errant Venture_, their complement fighters and some of Talon Karrde's ships reverted from hyperspace on the other side effectively catching the pirates in a cross fire.

While they were keeping the bad guys very busy, Lando, Talon and the Jedi X-Wings helped punch a hole for the _Falcon_. Han moved the _Falcon_ through the opening with Corran, Valin, Doran and Jysella flying escort. Between Leia's blasts from the top gun turret and the four Jedi X-Wings nothing bullied them for long, even while they dodged the planetary ring of asteroids.

The _Falcon_ and its escort went down the gravity well and Leia was able to find Jaina in the Force easily and use her daughter's anguished presence as beacon.

X

Jaina fell down onto her knees beside Kyp and immediately evaluated him. His breathing was labored and his pulse was weak and somewhat erratic. He looked up at her with profound sadness and regret in the green depths; tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. He could not move and Jaina could feel his pain through the Force all of which was not just physical.

"Hang in there, Kyp. We'll get out of here," she said but the words didn't even sound all that convincing even to her ears.

"J—a—y…I…lo," Kyp's speech was drawn, slurred and barely a whisper. He was drooling because he was unable to swallow any longer.

Jaina had to lean very close to him to hear him and laid a finger over his cold lips. "I know," she gave him a faint smile; "I love you too. Save your strength. I'm going to help you into a healing trance. Then get us out of here."

"But…y-you…a—re…hur—t."

"It's nothing," she looked at the saber burned gash on her shoulder and upper arm. It throbbed but she ignored it. "Close your eyes." He tried but when she saw that he didn't have the ability to do so on his own she reached up and helped him. And shuddered, the act too similar to what one did when someone died. She leaned down and kissed his lips as she reached out into the Force and touched his mind, easing him into a trance that hopefully would save his life.

She searched the datapad and found a more direct way out of the factory to the exhaust port where their Y-Wing was sitting.

She picked up the lightsabers she dropped when she fell down beside him and clipped them on her belt side by side. Gathering the Force to her for strength she gently levitated Kyp and headed out.

Several minutes later she emerged from a tunnel opening across from the Y-Wing. And her heart froze. She almost lost her hold on Kyp as she gazed upon the smoking engines of the old bomber.

She nearly panicked. What was she going to do now? She lowered Kyp and checked his vitals. He seemed to be stable. She stood and fought the growing panic that threatened to grip her mind. She ran over to the ship to discover the engines were indeed destroyed but when she saw the cockpit was undamaged her heart sang.

As she jumped up to the cockpit she heard a hissing sound and realized that there was a fuel leak that would cause the engines to explode if it wasn't stopped soon. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and fell deeply into the Force. Then she reached into the engines to find the leak she used the Force to close it off and extinguish the fires. After all danger was over, she coaxed enough life out of the comm unit to hail the _Sunrise_.

X

The_ Falcon _sat down near the exhaust port where Leia said she felt Jaina. The four X-Wings followed and put down next to the light freighter. Han and Leia were the first to reach the sandy ground and ran to the edge of the indentation where they skidded to a halt to look down at Jaina.

The Y-Wing was on the opposite side, its engines blackened shells. Jaina was sitting on the rock floor with Kyp's head lying in her lap directly below them.

"Jaina!" Han yelled and she turned to look up.

"Dad! Oh, thank the Force!" She let out a sob and Leia felt her daughter's anguish and her relief.

"How is Kyp?" Leia called as the other Jedi came up beside them.

"He's in a trance, but he is still so cold and his breathing and pulse are weak," Jaina said as she lifted him and stood up. She looked at the other Jedi, "Help me get him up there."

"Emmm…" Corran glanced at Leia and then to Doran.

Doran shook his head as he stepped next to the edge beside Corran and Valin. "I'm sure glad you are marrying a Jedi with telekinesis, Valin, because hopefully your kids won't be so helpless."

"Well, that may be so. But Jy may not marry a Jedi which means her kids may not have the ability either," Valin snorted taken aback by the never ending jibe.

As Doran closed his eyes and began to lift Kyp out of the port, Jysella said, "And who says I won't marry a Jedi."

"I say you aren't marrying anyone for a while, young lady. So, you will have plenty of time to decide," Corran responded, he really wasn't too sure about the growing romance between Doran and his baby girl. Leia could sympathize.

Leia then closed her eyes and drew the Force around her and began to levitate Jaina up. Han immediately directed Doran to take Kyp into the _Falcon_. As soon as Jaina's feet hit the ground, she headed off to follow Kyp. Han stopped her and pointed to the wound on her shoulder.

"That needs looked at." Then he met her gaze and said, "It looks like a lightsaber burn."

Jaina glanced at the blackened injury and then turned back to Han, "It is. But I'll be okay. It can wait. Kyp can't." Then she said pleadingly as Doran and Kyp disappeared into the hold of the _Falcon_, "Please, Dad, it's fine. Kyp is going to die if we don't get him to a medic soon."

"Han," Leia met her husband's concerned gaze. "She's right; Kyp can't wait too much longer."

"Okay, let's go," Han turned and headed up the ramp, his arm around Jaina's shoulders.

Threepio was standing at the top of the ramp anxiously waving at them as they came up, "Oh my, Mistress Jaina, that arm needs treatment and Master Durron looks dreadful. I sure hope he survives."

"Stuff it, Goldenrod," Han snapped when Jaina let out a sob and began crying.

X

X

X

--Please feel free to give a review. I'd love to know what you think about this...And I like constructive criticism, that is how I can improve my writing...Thanks to all who are reading... :-)


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21 **

Jaina sat next to the bed and stared at the man lying on the sterile white sheets, his dark hair in stark contrast to the sheets and the greyish pallor of his skin. The constant beeping and rasp of the machines that were attached to him and the never ending clamor from the critical care unit of the Coruscant medical center grated on her fragile nerves. A week had passed since the mission and Kyp was still in critical condition with no signs of improvement.

The 2-1B droid and the human medic on Jacen's flagship, _The_ _Warrior Queen_, immediately administered what they hoped would be a possible antidote within moments after the _Falcon_ landed on the Hapan battle dragon. However, the antidote which had been produced as a counteragent to the Yuuzhan Vong amphistaff venom did not work; neither did the other possible antidotes which were administered during the hyperspace jump to Coruscant.

Kyp who had been in a healing trance slipped into a coma but he was considered stable at the time. Jaina was convinced finally by her parents and brother to go into a bacta tank for her own injury. She spent half a day in the tank but refused to go back in, she needed to be with Kyp; so, the medic grudgingly applied a bacta bandage to her wound instead. After that she never left his side, keeping vigil and praying to whatever gods may listen to bring him back to her.

She had no more tears to cry. She had cried the last when his heart stopped just before the _The Warrior Queen's _reversion to real space outside Coruscant. For a harrowing five minutes her mother and father held her tight outside the surgery while the medic, the droid and Jacen with whatever healing practices he had learned during his years of studying the Force, worked to restart Kyp's poison weakened heart. She wailed and screamed his name when she felt his life beginning to slip away from him.

Jaina eventually collapsed when she felt him return and the medic and Jacen emerged to announce they were able to restart his heart and that he was put on a ventilator. Now as she sat beside him in the medical center where the best doctors and droids in the Galaxy made their living saving the worst of the dying, she was surrounded by the machines that kept the Jedi Master's heart beating and his lungs breathing, while yet another possible antidote circulated in his blood.

She felt her brother's presence but did not turn to acknowledge him. She had Kyp's too cool hand held tightly in one of hers while she idly fingered the lightsaber pendent that she hadn't removed since the day Kyp put it around her neck. Jacen laid his hands on her shoulders as he stood behind her, gently massaging her tense shoulders careful not to disturb the bandage she still had on the lightsaber wound.

Quietly he said, "Jaya, you need to rest and eat something."

"I can't, Jacen. I need to be here." She finally turned her head to look at her twin.

"But you haven't eaten or really slept for days. We are as worried about you as we are about Kyp."

"I—I can't." She was silent for a long time and Jacen sighed and turned to go. He failed as well. Every member of the family had tried to accomplish the same thing with the same result. She refused to leave Kyp's side. He stopped when Jaina added so quietly he almost didn't hear it, "Thank you, Jasa."

"Jaina, you know I'd do anything for you. You are my sister, Jaya, I love you," his voice took on a huskiness from the deep emotion he was feeling.

Jaina turned to look at her brother who she had shared so much with. "I love you too, Jasa. I'm sorry for the things I said to you about the war. And the scene I made at your wedding." She glanced away for a moment, then swallowing she turned back to add, her voice cracking, "I hope you can forgive me."

Jacen kneeled before her and took her into his arms, "Jaina, there's nothing to forgive."

"That's what—that's what Kyp keeps telling me," she couldn't hold the tears back any longer, somewhere, somehow she found more to cry. "Jacen, just hold me." And on his shoulder she cried her despair.

X

Anther week went by and there was still no change in Kyp's condition. The medical team that consisted of two Ho'Din doctors, Cilghal, her latest apprentice, and numerous medial droids were trying desperately to save the once despised rogue Jedi Master, destroyer of Carida, if not for him, then for the distraught, fragile woman who never left his side. The young Jedi Knight who would hold his hand and talk to him for hours until exhaustion would finally claim her and she would fall to sleep with her head on the edge of his bed.

Han, Leia and the rest of the family painfully watched as Jaina kept her vigil. They stopped trying to get her to leave the hospital, they would bring her clothes and food and she only left his side long enough to allow the medical team time with him. She instisted that she needed to be there.

Jaina would quietly talk to Kyp for hours. She shared with him her most private thoughts and plans for their future. She admitted to her childhood infatuation with him when she was a little girl before Zekk entered her life. She described in detail her memories of him from childhood and how she first fought the first flutters of attraction to the man he had become when she was sixteen. She admitted to fighting those growing feelings at Hapes and at Borleias. She told him that she called them partners because she honestly considered him her partner in a way Jag Fel never could be. And that she could not imagine life without him.

She confessed to the comatose love of her life her deepest fears of losing him, of losing herself to the Darkness and of the fear of spending a life alone as the Sword of the Jedi. She realized that the reason she had deigned her love for him for so long was because she was frightened of what would become of her if she allowed herself to love him only to lose him.

She told him of her dreams of the future. Dreams she didn't really realize she had until she voiced them. Dreams of someday sitting on the Jedi Council with him by her side. Dreams of what her wedding day would be like. Dreams of children not yet born. She described to him in great detail what she thought their children would look like and what their personalities would be like. Dreams of growing old with him and of their grandchildren.

But mostly she told him over and over that she loved him and that she would never had become the woman she had without him in her life.

X

Another two weeks passed and the medical team was beginning to wonder if Kyp Durron would ever regain consciousness. Nothing seemed to counteract the poison that still was destroying his muscles and shutting down his organs.

X

Kyp found himself floating in a great abyss. There was nothing but darkness and Kyp was frightened. He could feel the pull of two presences through the Force drawing him. One was a Light that started out as no bigger than a far away star but he began to float towards it. Finding the Light comforting, he drew nearer to it and it suddenly grew to overwhelm his senses in its brightness. It beckoned him to enter the Light, calling to him. It welcomed him cleansing him of all his sins, forgiving him and comforting him. He suddenly wasn't frightened any longer. He stepped into the Light and basked in its joy.

Then he heard the Voice, the other presence that drew him in the opposite direction across the long dark abyss. He turned away from the Light to listen to it. Sweat and clear, the Voice called to him. He stepped away from the Light to listen to the beautiful comforting sound. He seemed to recognize it but couldn't understand the words. He needed to get closer to it. He stepped back into the dark abyss and began floating towards the sound of the Voice.

As he got closer to the sound of the Voice he found himself clinging to it, not wanting to let it go, not wanting the Light. During the time that he could not hear it, the Light seemed to beckon him again, wanting him to come back to it. But as he crossed the abyss the Light became less and less inviting and eventually it began to shrink back into a star. He was sad to see the Light go but he knew it could wait. Somehow he knew the Voice couldn't and he needed to go back to it.

The Voice became clearer as he came closer to it and finally he realized the source of the Voice. It was the voice of a Goddess—

_"Please, Kyp, wake up. I love you, I always have and I always will until the day I die. Kyp, I can't say goodbye…" _

X

Jaina sobbed. All hope was gone. The Council after consulting with the medical team seeing to Kyp's treatment decided that there was not much else that could be done. Kyp was dieing and was being kept alive only by the many machines that maintained his heart rate, breathing, kidney functions and other life extending equipment. His Force presence was nearly gone. The Council along with the Solos made the heart wrenching decision to remove Kyp Durron from all life support and let the once hated Jedi Master quietly go.

Jaina sat by his side for what she knew would be the last time. They would be coming in after everyone had their chance to say their goodbyes to remove the machines that for the past month had grated on every nerve of Jaina's being. She sobbed telling him over and over that she loved him and that she had no idea how she would be able to survive without him.

Suddenly, ever so gently she felt a slight pressure on her hand that was tightly holding his. She looked down and gasped, he was ever so slightly moving the fingers of that hand. Her eyes flew to his face and her heart leapt as she watched his eyes begin moving under his closed lids. The joy and relief that flooded her in that moment was so profound in the Force that the rest of the family who was standing outside the room rushed in.

Jaina stood up, leaned over him and reached up to touch the ashen cheek as she said in a voice rough from nearly nonstop talking and emotion, "Kyp?" She watched as his eye movement became more profound and he began to fight the breathing tube that was inserted through his mouth. "Oh, Kyp!" her voice was excited and she felt her parents wrap their arms around her. She listened to the heart monitor which up to then had been responding with a dreadfully slow constant beep begin to speed up.

—Kyp Durron was coming to; he was coming back to his Goddess.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22 **

(9 months later)

Jaina Solo stared at her reflection in the full length mirror and smiled. She had to admit she liked what she saw. The two handmaids had just finished their magic with her hair which was down and had Hapan violets woven throughout the long wavy locks. The chocolate traces were held back from her face with the diamond and white gold tiara her mother had surprised her with. It had been given to Leia by the New Alderaanian government after she helped establish the new world nearly thirty years ago. It was a reproduction to replace the one she had lost with the destruction of Alderaan. Jaina was more that honored to wear it because Leia had worn it at her own wedding to Han; even though, the New Alderaanians had given it to her as a gift because they were sure she would marry Prince Isolder.

The fitted white gown she wore flattered her figure. The scalped low cut, off the shoulder, short sleeve bodice was delicately embroidered with shimmering pale lavender and silver Hapan roses. The satin skirt was fitted with a slit up the back that allowed for easy waking. At the waist was attached a removable over skirt of velvet that created the train. Her shoes, which peeked out from under the scalped bottom edge that mimicked the neckline with embroidered roses, were delicate heeled slippers of silvery satin. Her lightsaber necklace and earrings of Mon Cal teardrop pearls which were a gift from Aunt Mara completed the vision.

She couldn't believe today was her wedding day. Nearly a year had passed since that night when she stared at herself in a different mirror gathering her courage to end her relation with Zekk. Eleven months—and so much had happened.

Kyp took nearly five months to completely recover from the poisoning. The toxin that had stopped his heart and lungs, shut down his kidneys and paralyzed his muscles was eventually counteracted by Kyp's will to live and Jaina's never failing love. Jaina still remembered the overwhelming joy she felt when Kyp's dark green eyes finally opened, but he had a long, hard road to a complete recovery.

Jaina remembered those first few months with a shudder. Jaina had moved back in with him after his release from the medical center three weeks after he awoke. He was unable to walk and did not have much movement of his arms. The poison had destroyed much of Kyp's muscles causing weakness and lack of control.

Kyp went through a terrible period of depression. He was not patient with his therapy and he felt she was smothering him with the care she gave him. Then there was the event that caused Kyp to question his manhood and he began to lash out at her. He repeatedly tried to get her to leave him. He nearly as much as told her that he didn't love her any more, that she would be better off with someone else and that he didn't want her. It was probably the most difficult period in her life. In many ways she felt totally alone. She finally went to her father for advice and he helped her by reassuring her that the best thing she could do was fight him and hang in there. Kyp was stubborn, independent and prideful; Han explained that Kyp wasn't lashing out just at her but at the situation. She in a way was a reminder of what he had been like prior but he needed that reminder to ensure he continued to fight and not give up.

She could not lose Kyp but she felt like he was battling her. She refused to leave him and she eventually proved to him that he was more than deserving of her. By the time he recovered five months after waking up, they discovered that they loved each other more than they ever did before.

By the time Valin and Tahiri were married on Zonoma Sekot, Kyp was nearly completely healed and was regaining his muscular strength back. They attended the wedding that truly was a time of healing itself. It was pivotal to witness Jedi, GFFA military, ex-smugglers and Yuuzhan Vong all gathered together for such a joyous event. Tahiri and Valin had an informal Jedi ceremony which Corran nervously officiated. Not only was it his son getting married but it was also his first wedding. Harrar who had adopted Tahiri/Riina while she was on the planet before the Killik crisis, also said a few words for the newly married couple. The Yuuzhan Vong didn't have a marriage ceremony parse but what the priest said regarding happiness and good fortune was more than appropriate.

Jaina was very excited and very happy for her friends. Tahiri truly looked blissful; the first time Jaina had seen her in such a way in a long, long time. At the reception which was also held out of doors in a meadow not far from one of the villages, Jaina began to mingle. Kyp had gone off with Luke, Jacen and her father. Han was thrilled to be the one to walk Tahiri down the aisle and many there did not miss the larger meaning of that. Tahiri would always be considered a member of the Solo family, but it truly was a sign that she had moved on.

As she was talking with Gavin Darklighter, Zekk, who had been avoiding her, approached and asked her if he could talk to her. They had walked away from the boisterous wedding guests and headed down a path that led to a pleasant brook. Zekk was the first to speak, "How are you? Valin had told us about how bad Kyp's recovery was." Although, no one but her father knew just how terrible of a time it really was, not even her mother, most still knew it was very difficult for the independent, stubborn Jedi Master to be so incapacitated.

She looked at him searching his face for the right words, when none came she said, "I'm okay." Then she smiled when she saw the flicker of concern in his green eyes, "That sounded lame, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it did," Zekk let out a light chuckle when he saw her smile then waited for her to start again.

She looked away and said, "Zekk, I've never been happier. It's been hard for the past five months, I'll admit. The thought of almost losing him frightened me like nothing ever did. And his recovery was an emotional asteroid ride for both of us. But through it all we came out of it more in love and more committed than ever before." She met his eyes and quietly added, "I'm truly sorry for what I did to you, Zekk. I never wanted to hurt you. I did love you, just not as deeply as I should have. I miss our friendship. One can't spend nearly two years joined to someone else's mind and not miss the companionship that comes from that person."

He looked away and up at the clear blue sky that peeked through between the boaras, even Sekot was at the wedding in its own way by providing a most beautiful day. Zekk then said, his voice low, "Jaina, I know that I'll never completely get over you. A part of my heart will always belong to my first love." He then looked back at her, "But I know we were never meant to be. I came here hoping to rebuild on the relationship that I had with Danni before the mess with the Colony and," he smiled as he said the rest, "I have."

He turned away from her and was silent for a few moments as if he was debating what to say next. Finally, he turned back and his face broke with a bright smile, "Danni's pregnant. We haven't told anyone yet, she just found out and I think I'm still in shock but we are planning on getting married."

"Oh, Zekk, that is wonderful news!" Jaina hugged him tightly around his waist.

He put his arms around her shoulders and hugged her back, laughing, "Yeah, well, don't plan on a wedding like this one," he pointed back in the direction of the festivities, "Or, like what I hear you are planning on Hapes." He let her go and continued to smile at her as he draped his arm about her shoulders; she still had an arm around his waist.

She smiled back up at him and said, "Well, I am a goddess, I can't disappoint."

He laughed, "Why does he still call you that? Even the Yuuzhan Vong know better."

She shook her head, "Only Kyp knows for sure why he calls me Goddess, but I think he truly believes I saved him. Not just from the poisoning but from wherever he was headed during the War."

Zekk looked over her head and said, "He is one lucky man."

"And Danni is one lucky woman," she countered as they started back up the path towards the sounds of the reception.

"I love her and we can't wait to get married."

"When and where are you planning this quiet, little wedding?"

He chuckled as he related, "We are going to head out for Commenor to meet her parents in a few weeks and are hoping to get married there." Zekk was quiet for a few moments then laughed as he added, "Although, I really hope her father is nothing like yours."

"Why?" Jaina somehow knew where he was going with this.

"Because, when we tell him about the baby, I really don't want to have to defend myself against his blaster. The memory of your father threatening me because I wouldn't marry you is still a nightmare I really don't ever want to relive." They both laughed as they rounded the edge of the tree line and saw the first wedding festivities.

She assured him, "Don't feel bad, I've saved Kyp more than once." They were both laughing when they found Kyp and Danni.

X

"I'm getting married," Kyp said in a quiet, awestruck voice as the Hapan valet finished with the complicated Hapan neck tie of violet.

The older man stood back to inspect his handiwork with the tie, grinned and said, "That is at least the fifth of sixth time you have said that. You say it as if you are trying to convince yourself it is true."

Kyp looked at the royal house servant and smiled, "I am." He turned back towards the mirror and stared at himself. He was wearing a black tuxedo of Hapan design with a double breasted high collared white shirt. The violet tie and a single amethyst colored rose boutonniere completed the outfit. His hair had been trimmed and hung to just below his ears in long wavy curls. He continued by saying, "I honestly never expected to see this day come." Kyp then looked at the old man by way of his reflection. "It almost didn't."

Kyp turned his gaze back to himself and remembered. It was painful to remember those months after the mission. After Jaina's love saved his life, his pride nearly caused him to push her away—

X

"Get out, Jaina, I don't want you here," Kyp said as he stumbled into their apartment after a grueling day at the Medical Center's rehab ward. He had awakened nearly two months before and, although the doctors all said he had made an amazing recovery so far, Kyp still was no where near as strong as he should be for the amount of therapy he was doing. There was actual concern that the Jedi Master may never completely regain his muscle tissue back. That he would never be able to do the things he had done before.

The medical team still could not figure out the poison that the cyborg Marolosa injected him with. It seemed to be a combination of several different substances but nothing could counteract it. His heart and other organs were all improving rather quickly, but it was his muscles that seemed not to respond to any treatment. However, with healing trances and daily physical therapy, Kyp soon regained enough strength to walk again and near full range of motion of his arms and hands. The problem for Kyp was that the progress seemed so slow. He was never a patient man and he wanted better now not months from now. He wanted to be able to walk with Jaina and do the other things they did together like sparring and personal combat. Not to mention, all the other things he wanted to do with her.

She moved in with him the day he was released back home, with her parents' blessing and encouragement, which should have made him ecstatic and at first it did. Until Jaina became his nurse and maid, she did every thing for him. She cooked his meals, while desperately trying to learn to cook; she cleaned up after him; she made sure he made it to all of his appointments; she even bathed him those first few weeks until he was able to do it for himself. At night she would make sure he went into his prescribed healing trances. It all became very frustrating for him, she was everything but what he wanted her to be. But worse, he felt like a complete burden to her.

After about two months of rehab he was able to walk completely on his own and he had control over most of his body. It was their sixth month anniversary; Jaina had prepared a rather decent meal of roasted nerf and baked tubers. They ate by low light and candles like they used to when she would have diner with him before the mission. Afterward, they sat on the couch and cuddled. But all too soon, their desire began to take over. He led Jaina to their bedroom and he wanted nothing more than make love to her. But his body just wasn't ready. It was probably the most embarrassing event in his life. The disappointment he saw in her beautiful brown eyes, which to her credit, she covered so fast he wondered if it had been there at all, haunted him for several months after until he was finally completely recovered.

That event caused Kyp to doubt everything and he wanted nothing more that to save Jaina from what he had become. But he felt the only way to get her to leave was to lash out at her and hurt her enough to make her go away. To leave him alone to what had become a retched existence. Two days after what he felt was his failure as a man, he decided he had enough of Jaina being his nurse and maid.

He was weak from the hard day at therapy and Jaina reached out to help steady him as he stepped down from the entry into the living room but recoiled instead from the viciousness of his words. "Kyp, I'm not leaving you."

He unsteadily turned after stepping down, "Why? Do you feel that sorry for me?"

"Kyp?" Jaina's tone was pleading; she didn't understand why he was saying these things. Finally, she swallowed and said as she headed for the kitchen, "You're upset about today, that's all." She was referring to the seemingly lack of progress over the past week. She turned before stepping into the kitchen, "Why don't you rest and I'll get lunch." She was desperately trying to hide the tears that were glazing her eyes. She quickly disappeared into the kitchen.

Kyp moved slowly to the edge of the island counter. Jaina's back was to him while she was preparing some ground nerf for lunch. He could feel her hurt and he almost stopped, thinking that he didn't really want to hurt her but then it was better to cause her some pain now instead of a lot later, he reasoned. He bitterly declared, "Jaina, I don't want you to be my nurse or my maid. And since," she turned and he choked a venomous chuckle, "I obviously can't be your lover, what else is there?"

Jaina's eyes were glazed and red from both the unshed tears she was holding back and from the millions, if not billions she had already cried. She softly replied, "Our love."

"I don't—" Kyp stopped and swallowed. He was about to say the words that would break not only her heart but his as well, "I don't want your love."

"Kyp, stop!" Her restraint broke and the dam that held her tears in broke. It only hurt him more to see this. He quickly turned and headed towards the couch. He took several steps, he himself fighting tears, when he nearly fell.

Jaina caught him before he went down and he pushed her away almost causing her to fall. "Get away!" He slowly stood and eventually made the last few steps to the back of the couch. Leaning against it, breathing heavy from the exertion, he seethed, "This is what I'm talking about! I'm not a man any more; I'm a shell, Jaina. I used to be able to run at top speed for twenty-five klicks and not even break a real sweat or need to breathe hard." He turned to look over his shoulder at her, "Now I can't even walk two meters."

"But it's only been two months," she started forward but must have sensed his warning because she stopped. "The doctors all say it may take months to get back your strength."

"Or I may never get it back," the resigned look in her eyes admitted to the fear. He went on, "I know the medics aren't telling me every thing, Jaina. I know there's a really good chance that I may never recover completely." Finally, feeling like he could stand again, he did so and completely turned to face her. In a voice filled with the self-loathing he had not felt in over twenty-five years he said, "Am I what you want to spend the rest of your life with? An invalid. A shell of a man. You are a passionate woman, Jaina, you need a man who can satisfy you. Don't you see? I can't be that man. Isn't that why you left Jag and Zekk because they weren't passionate enough for you?"

Jaina blinked and then stared at him; she looked as if he had just hit her. In a way, he probably did. After a moment, she swallowed and stepped closer and then proceeded to slap him across the face, leaving a red hand print. She nearly screamed at him, "I left them because I _love_ you! Yes, there was something missing with them and yes, I called it passion, but it had nothing to do with my sex life with them. It was the depth of feeling that wasn't there. The depth of truly unconditional love. That's what I feel for you." She reached out to touch the red hand print, he tried to turn away but her fingers touched his cheek anyway. He felt her use the Force and immediately the stinging stopped. "I don't care if you ever recover, if we never have _that_ again. It's _you_ I love," her voice shook from the pain she felt and from fear. She more calmly added after taking a ragged breath, "I'm here because I want to be. Yes, I cry a lot. I'm not going to lie to you and say that I wish this," she made a gesture with her had as she waved it in front of him, "never happened. But Kyp, when I almost lost you just outside Corescant and then when the Council decided to remove the machines it crushed me." Her tears were streaming like a river, and it nearly broke his heart to see her this way. She whispered, "I don't know what I'd do without you in my life. Kyp, I love you and I always will."

X

Kyp closed his eyes against the painful memory. That was only the first fight they had, more followed, some more hateful than even this one. For nearly a month and a half, he told Jaina nearly every day that she would be better off without him. But Jaina never wavered. She never stopped loving him. He had stopped calling her "Goddess" but she proved to him that she truly was one because it was her love and determination that saved him from himself. He would never be able to completely prove to her or show her how much she meant to him. And he wondered every day, what would have become of him if she would have walked away.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23 **

"Master Durron? Is there anything else that I can help you with?"

Kyp turned his attention back to the elderly valet, "No, thank you, Phizel. You may go."

The servant bowed at the waist and left.

Moments later there was a soft knock on the old wood hinge styled door. "Come in." Kyp turned grinning at the nervous presence he felt opening the door.

Han Solo, dressed similarly to Kyp stepped into the large bed chamber. He smiled at Kyp upon seeing him. "Well, Kid, you look a site."

Kyp's grin broadened and he replied, "I'm not sure how I should take that."

Han's chuckled and slapped Kyp on the shoulder, "Let's just say you'll knock her out." He winked at him and then he looked around the bedroom Kyp had slept in for the past two weeks. Finally, he looked back at Kyp and asked, "You nervous?"

"Of course, I am," Kyp snickered as he added, "Especially, when the bride's father shows up in my room."

Han laughed and patted Kyp on his shoulder again. He then turned and walked over to the large windows on the opposite wall of the room where two large overstuffed chairs were positioned with a low table between. He sat down and said, "Well, that is a good thing because I'm here to give you some fatherly advice."

Kyp followed Han to the chairs and sat in the one opposite him. He grinned as he asked, "And what might that be?"

Han looked at Kyp and sighed then turned away as he looked out the window, which looked out over the South Lawn and Tenel Ka's Jungle Garden. "I remember my wedding day like it was yesterday and yet it sometimes feels like a million years ago. If Chewy hadn't been there, I'd been all alone. Luke was to be my best man but got caught up in some mix up with the taxi driver and didn't show up until Leia and I were saying our vows." He paused and looked back at Kyp who was just staring at the older man. Kyp expected Han to continue with the gentle teasing and joking that had been the norm for them when it came to anything personal concerning Jaina not become so serious. Then Han said, "I wished for one of the few times in my life that I would have had my father there. Even if I really did not know him.

"Kid—," Han's voice seemed a little deeper with an emotion Kyp couldn't even begin to fathom. "Kyp, I know things haven't been easy for you these past several months but I want you to know I'm here for you."

Kyp looked away, leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees as he studied his hands he quietly said, "Han, I—um—I don't know how much Jaina has shared with you about my recovery." Then Kyp turned and looked at Han, "But I need to apologize."

Han searched the younger man's eyes, "What for? I know some things but—" He let his voice trail off.

Kyp turned his attention back to his hands and rubbed them together, "I broke my promise to you, Leia, Luke and Mara, kriff even to myself. But most of all I broke my promise to Jaina." Kyp looked back at the man who had for many years been like a father to him and one of his closest friends, and in less then hour would become his father-in-law. "I promised that I'd never intentionally hurt her, and yet for every day for over a month I did exactly that."

"Kyp, that wasn't your fault. You were—"

Kyp's slow head shake stopped any further comment from Han, "No, Han, I said terrible things to her. I told her that I didn't need her love and that she would be better off with someone else. I—" Kyp paused for a moment and swallowed the lump in his throat, "I told her that she would only end up hating me because I couldn't satisfy her or be the man she needed or wanted. That she would only want to leave me like she left Jag and Zekk." Kyp turned and gazed at Han, when he didn't see any or feel any surprise in him, Kyp straightened and said somewhat defensively, "I guess she has told you more than I thought she would."

Han frowned and held Kyp's gaze, "Only I know certain things, Kyp, not even Leia. Jaina needed someone to talk to. She needed advice and someone to lean on when things between you two got really rough." Han paused and shook his head, "Kyp, she loves you so much I'm actually afraid of what would have happened to her if you would have died." Then he gently added, "It took you to bring her back when Anakin died, but if you were gone, she would have surely fallen completely to the Dark Side with no one to save her, no matter what Jacen says about it."

Kyp stared at the older man; his momentary annoyance at Jaina's divulging such private things quickly drained away, "You are probably right about Jaina." He paused again and looked out the window, "I was so afraid that I couldn't be the man she wanted me to be or needed me to be. I was afraid that I'd never get back what I lost. I didn't want to hurt her any more than she already was. I thought if she left me now she wouldn't waste her life on me, causing her more pain later." He looked back at Han and finished by saying, "I ended up hurting her anyway."

After a moment, Han took a deep breath and solemnly said, "I think the only reason I'm not extremely furious with you is because I would have done the same thing if it had been me." Kyp's look of surprise caused Han to give him a slight smile, "Kid, you and I aren't that different in so many ways. You do know that, don't you?" Han didn't let Kyp answer but went on to say, "I also know that you love my daughter and it was because of that love that you felt you needed to protect her from something you thought would cause her deeper pain."

Kyp nodded and replied, smiling, "Han, I love Jaina more now then I ever thought possible. I wonder what I would have become if she would have walked away. She never gave up faith in me or in the Force."

Han reached over and gripped Kyp's forearm. "Kyp, I—um—I'm proud of you, Son."

Kyp reached over and laid his hand on top of Han's. "Thanks," was all he could choke out.

A knock on the door ended the emotionally awkward moment. The knock was followed by Jacen peeking around the door when there was no response, "Kyp?"

"Here," Kyp swallowed and stood.

"We're about ready," Jacen said as he walked in. He looked from Kyp to his father and smiled when he saw the solemn expressions on the two men, "What's he doing? Giving you the dos and don'ts of what you can and can't do with my sister?"

Han grinned, looked at Kyp with a meaningful look in his eyes and said, "Yeah, and he better never forget it. Or—"

Kyp nodded an understanding, chuckled and picked up the rest by saying, "I know, or I'll wish you left me on Kessel."

They all laughed and then Jacen said, "Dad, Mom wants you to meet her outside Jaina's room."

Han nodded and then turned back to Kyp. He didn't say anything he didn't have to, his eyes said it all. As much as Han accepted Kyp for Jaina, he was still taking his baby girl away.

X

Jaina turned at the soft knock at the old fashioned door, "Come in." She smiled at the feeling of apprehension she felt from her parents even through Leia's shielding. The door slowly opened and Han and Leia stepped through. Jaina added a gentle blush to the bright smile at their reactions upon seeing her.

Leia gasped and stepped across the room to where Jaina was standing before the full length mirror in the large bed chamber she occupied since her arrival on Hapes two weeks ago. She finally reached out and grabbed Jaina's hands holding them she stared at her daughter. After a moment of staring at Jaina, tears welled up in the corners of Leia's beautiful brown eyes. She quietly said in an unnaturally shaky voice, "You are absolutely breathtaking, Jaina." Then she hugged Jaina in a tight embrace.

Han's reaction was open-mouthed speechlessness. As Leia let Jaina go and moved away, she looked at her father and asked softly, "Daddy?"

That served to break the spell; Han swallowed hard and said in a small voice, "Wow." He shook his head and stepped over to her and after she hugged him he added, "Kyp Durron isn't going to know what hit him when he sees you."

Jaina's smile turned into a giggle, "That's the general idea."

Another knock at the door brought Jaina's sister-in-law, Tenel Ka and Allana, Jaina's two year old niece who would be the flower girl. The little princess let go of her mother's hand and immediately ran to Han squealing, "Granpee!" Han held out his arms and she in a blur of pale lavender and white shimmersilk leapt into them.

"Hey, Princess," Han gasped as the unexpected force of her hitting his chest nearly winded him.

"Allana!" Tenel Ka scolded, "You must behave yourself." The Queen then lifted her eyes to her father-in-law and the corners of her mouth raised ever so slightly in what constituted a smile for the reserved woman. Allana was proving to be her father's daughter when it came to toddler precociousness and mischievousness. And she absolutely loved her "Granpee" Han.

"Ah, she's okay, Tenel," Han laughed and proceeded to tickle the auburn haired, brown eyed little girl. "You really are a moneylizard, just like your father and aunt were." This only brought more giggles from her.

Leia watched with admiration then asked Tenel Ka, "Bail is napping, I assume." She was referring to her three month old grandson who Jacen surprised her with by naming him after her adopted father, Prince Bail Organa, First Chairman and Viceroy of Alderaan.

"Yes, he went down directly after his feeding," Tenel Ka responded and her smile broadened, Leia had been quite taken with her grandson, who she claimed looked just like Anakin did when he was a baby, light brown fussy hair and deep blue eyes.

The Queen and Princess were closely followed by Tahiri Horn, the other member of Jaina's bridal party. Both women were dressed in similarly designed gowns of amethyst. Tahiri's long wavy blond hair was pulled high and was held in place with sliver clips with the curls spilling over them. Her face was framed with long wispy curls. Tenel Ka's rich auburn hair was done in a delicate array of braids that were woven together, holding her crown of office in place.

Upon seeing Jaina, Tahiri gushed as she quickly hugged her friend, "Oh, Jaina, you are so beautiful."

"That is a fact, my friend," Tenel Ka added in way of agreement and then hugged her also.

Jaina looked from woman to woman and said, "You three are just as beautiful." She smiled, "That's not fair. I'm supposed to be the most beautiful today."

"What about me, Auntie Jaya?" Allana chirped from where she was sitting on her grandfather's lap. Han had seated himself near the window.

"Oh, you are just as beautiful." Jaina turned to her niece and leaned down to gently kiss her on the cheek. "I hope Uncle Kyp doesn't forget all about me and decide to marry you."

Han laughed, "Don't give the monkeylizard any ideas."

Leia shook her head and laughed. "Oh, I think your groom will only have eyes for you, trust me." Leia gracefully walked over and sat down on the other chair across from Han. She smoothed the skirt of the simple Alderaanian styled gown of the palest green shimmersilk which contrasted nicely with the attendants. Jaina couldn't help but smile when she saw her father watch her mother as she moved his eyes tinkling.

"He'd better," Jaina's smile turned mischievous, "if he knows what's good for him."

That brought laughter from everyone which Jacen interrupted by knocking and peeking in around the door. "We're all ready, ladies." He smiled at his sister and the others then he gently kissed Jaina on the cheek. He said as Tenel Ka moved beside him and he put his arm around Tenel Ka's waist, "Jaya, you look wonderful."

Han chuckled as Allana began to pull on his tie and said, "So, Jacen, you're the Prince of Hapes and besides making me a grandfather twice, it seems your only other function is messenger boy."

The women including usually reserved Tenel Ka laughed. She added at her husband's expense as he stepped over and rescued his father from the family monkylizard who nearly had Han's complicated tie undone, "That is a fact, my consort does make a very useful messenger boy."

Jacen shifted the auburn haired princess who possessed his eyes on his hip and locked gazes with his wife. He grinned lopsidedly and after a second Tenel Ka did something no one in the room had ever seen her do, she blushed an extremely bright shade of red.

Jacen snickered at his usually reticent wife, tickled his daughter and headed out the door.

Tenel Ka stammered, "Um—please excuse me." Then she quickly followed her husband out of the room.

The rest glanced at each other and they laughed. Leia quickly fixed the damage done to Han's tie after he stood and he said, "Well, that was interesting." He winced as his wife fussed longer than he thought was necessary, "I really hate when you guys do that." He was referring to the telepathic exchange that seemed to be the norm in the family of Force users except for him.

Jaina looked at her father and said through her laughter, "I think Dad, you will be glad you didn't hear that aloud."

"Why?" Han said as he brushed Leia's fussy hands away.

"Because, I think he just told Tenel that he prefers making you a grandfather than being a messenger boy."

Han and Leia just stared at her and Tahiri chuckled as she picked up the rose Jaina would be carrying. But it was Leia who responded, "Thanks, I really did not need to have your clarification. I'm not ready to be a grandmother again."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 **

Han Solo gazed at the beautiful young woman who had her arm looped through his as they stood together hidden behind lovely potted white flowering shrubs. They were awaiting their turn to go down the long grassy aisle. Han began to think about how they got to this moment. Jaina and Kyp had chosen to have their wedding on the South Lawn which was bordered on the western side by the lake and surrounded by a beautiful informal garden of some of the Hapen Consortium's most beautiful flowers including Jaina's favorites: amethyst Hapen roses and violets. Further east was Tenel Ka's Jungle Garden. The focal point at the end of the long aisle was a large spectacular white marble fountain, before which the couple would exchange their vows just as the sun would begin to set over the lake.

It had been the same area Jacen and Tenel Ka had their wedding thirteen months earlier which at first had been reason enough for Jaina to reject the site. In fact, the wedding was supposed to be on the North Lawn, but after she and Kyp walked through the garden a few evenings ago, they came back to announce the change in location. Of course, this caused everyone's anxiety level to increase, especially Leia's. Han loved his wife but sometimes she went a little too far.

First, she tried to pick Jaina's wedding dress. Han had told her not to do this that Jaina would pick a dress that she wanted to wear. Han had to admit, he did have his own misgivings. But Leia was so afraid Jaina would decide to be married in a flight suit that she had a seamstress bring samples for Jaina to choose from. Of course, _his _stubborn daughter went ballistic and refused to even look at them, saying she already had her gown picked out and no one was changing her mind. He had to smile at that memory of them screaming over the dresses with the seamstress so distraught she looked like she would faint. However, Jaina went one step further, she completely kept that gown secrete even from her mother who had been hurt greatly by that, but then she almost had it coming. No one did see the dress and as Han looked at her, he smiled. She knew what she was doing, the dress was perfect. She had told him privately, she had picked a gown that would make her look like a goddess; well, Han wasn't sure about that but to him she definitely looked like a princess.

Then, there was the issue with the guest list. What a nightmare that was. Jaina's non-political wedding had ended up being almost as large and in a way just as political as the Queen Mother's to Jacen Solo, who sort of borrowed Leia's claim to royalty by way of Alderaan. Jacen had convinced the Hapan court that he had as much a right to wed Tenel Ka as any other of the Galaxy's few and far between royals. After all, he was the adopted grandson of the Queen and Prince of Alderaan and the actual grandson of a Naboo Queen. Han could understand the 300 plus list for Jacen and Tenel Ka but he only shook his head and snickered at Kyp's bewildered expression when Leia presented nearly the exact same list for Jaina's wedding. Unfortunately, the list stayed even after great debate, no one knew how to make it smaller unless it be a family only affair which excluded too many meaningful people.

Han took a deep breath as other memories began to come to him and he became solemn again. Memories of the wars and all of the heartbreak and hardships they caused which had changed all of them forever. The years of her adolescence that he swore gave him more grey hairs than the war with the Empire ever did especially her infatuation with a certain vent-crawler. The many times Jaina and her brothers were kidnapped and needed rescuing. The first time Jaina met a lanky, awkward boy of sixteen with unruly back hair and dark green eyes and told him that he looked funny when Han had brought him home after fleeing Kessel. And then he remembered the moment the medic laid his firstborn into his arms, and he gasped. "Where did the years go?" he whispered under his breath as he closed his eyes to fight the tears that suddenly threatened to fall.

Tarihi must have finished her trek down the long aisle because Tenel Ka moved into place to begin her walk under the beautiful white arbor that was covered with green ivy vines and roses. A handmaiden held onto Allana's small hand and the little girl waited impatiently bouncing up and down with excitement in front of him and Jaina. She knew she would be next to spread the soft amethyst rose petals and violets from her white basket for her aunt to walk on. Han looked at her and wondered wistfully if he would look back on her wedding day and remember this. Allana must have felt Han's eyes on her because she looked back at him and smiled a smile that melted his heart. _No, moneylizard, don't grow up too fast._

As beautiful airy strains of an Alderaanian prelude filled the air with its sweet lyrical sound, Jaina finally looked up to meet her father's eyes. She smiled and said softly, "Guess we're next."

Han swallowed the lump in his throat, "Nervous?"

"Yeah, just a little. But mostly because I can feel Kyp's nerves."

After a moment, he said, "You know you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Jaina's smile never wavered and neither did her gaze, then she shook her head and her smile turned more bright than before, "Not even a pack of angry, hungry voxyn lead by a gang of vicious gandarks could keep me from walking down that aisle, Daddy."

Han chucked softly, "Well, I didn't really think so but I'm your father I'm supposed to say things like that. Besides," he paused and became very serious, "I'm trying to delay the inevitable. I love you, Princess," he whispered as a single tear escaped.

Jaina watching her father and suddenly became serious too as she fought her own tears, "I know, Daddy, and I love you."

Just then the orchestra paused, cuing them to move into place. The handmaiden bent down and whispered instructions into Allana's ear then let go of her hand. The little Princess of Hapes began her walk down the aisle as the guests stood and turned towards the arbor, and she spread her petals and violets as perfectly and with as much grace as a child three times her age to the more brusque Corellian Wedding March.

After she was about a quarter of the way down, Jaina shifted her single amethyst rose and squeezed her father's arm. As they gazed into each others eyes, they stepped under the arch. She then turned to find the man she loved beyond all else turning his attention from her uncle to peer at her. The sudden surge of love from him caused her to gasp and he stared at her with openmouthed wonderment.

X

Kyp watched as Tahiri and then Tenel Ka walked down the aisle to take their places opposite him and his groomsmen, Jacen and Valin Horn. The women smiled at him as they passed and each of them sent the Jedi Master reassurance through the Force. As Tenel Ka took her place and turned to look out over the expanse of wedding guests, the music stopped. Kyp looked up at Luke, who was officiating the wedding and was standing on the bottom ledge of the flowing fountain. Luke smiled down at Kyp and ever so slightly pointed his chin and turned his eyes out toward the end of the aisle.

As the Corellian Wedding March began and the wedding guests collectively gasped, Kyp slowly turned his head—

—And had his breath completely taken away from him as he saw his Goddess step through the rose covered arbor. She smiled and after a few seconds he heard in his head, _You may want to close your mouth. It may not be very becoming for a Jedi Master to look so shocked. _

Kyp swallowed hard and did what she suggested. He sent back to her, _You are absolutely beautiful, Goddess._

Jaina's smile brightened further, lighting up her entire being and as she and her father drew closer she sent to him, _And you, my Mortal, are absolutely gorgeous_.

It seemed to take her an eternity to finally make it down to where her mother stood, ramrod straight and beautifully smiling. Mara Skywalker had her fisted hand pressed up to her mouth and the other rested on Leia's shoulder as she watched her niece come to stand before her mother. Jaina kissed Leia on the cheek, hugged her and gave her the rose she had carried down with her. Leia took the single rose into trembling hands and looked at it, a tear silently sliding down her cheek. The custom of giving the mother the bride's bouquet was an old Alderaanian custom. A custom she herself had been unable to follow.

Jaina then completed her walk to stand before her groom giving him a bright smile. She turned and leaned up to kiss her father on the cheek before letting go of his arm. Kyp reached out and Han took the proffered hand and shook it vigorously then in the last second pulled Kyp into a tight but quick embrace. No words were exchanged but Kyp suddenly felt completely excepted into this family. A feeling of utter gladness filled his heart. Han nodded his head and as Kyp turned his attention to Jaina he went back to take his seat between Leia and Mara.

Kyp looked down at her and smiled, he took her hands and fought the temptation to lean over and kiss her. _You'll get to do that soon enough_. _Never were very patient, were you? _Kyp heard in his head and nearly snorted.

He sent back to her, _You know me best_.

After the guests settled down into their seats again, Luke looked over at his sister and brother-in-law and asked, "Who gives this woman to be wed to this man?"

Han looked at Leia, taking her hand he cleared his throat and said, "Her mother and I do."

Luke then looked back down at Kyp and Jaina who seemed completely engrossed with each other, and then he asked, "Is there anyone present who sees any reason for this couple not to wed?"

Kyp nervously glanced out over the gathered witnesses, but if he felt anything from them it was genuine wishes for good fortune.

He turned back to meet Jaina's eyes as Luke said, "We are here to join this man and this woman in matrimony. But for Jedi to enter this rite it takes on a greater responsibility because a Jedi serves the Force first and foremost and puts all other wants, desires and obligations second."

Luke then turned his attention back to the couple before him, "I ask you both, are you prepared to put yourselves second and to serve the Force always first?"

"We are," both Jaina and Kyp quietly responded together as they glanced at him.

Luke then pulled from the belt of his formal dark brown Jedi robes a white satin ribbon and held it up for them all to see, "This ribbon represents the Force," He then preceded to slowly loop it around Jaina's wrists then Kyp's as they held hands, making a crossed over figure eight as he said evenly, "As it is wrapped around your hands it symbolizes how the Force is all around us and in us weaving everything together, binding the universe. As you say your vows you are not only being bond by law and love but also by the Force from now until eternity."

Luke finished the wrapping and smiled at Kyp, who hadn't taken his eyes from Jaina's, "Kyp, do you take Jaina to be your lawful wife, to love, honor and cherish, from this day forward, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Kyp continued to gaze into Jaina's bright eyes and smiled. He squeezed her hands that he already held tightly under the binding ribbon and quietly said, "I do."

Luke continued, saying to Jaina, "Jaina, do you take Kyp to be your lawful husband, to love, honor and cherish, from this day forward, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Jaina smiled and squeezed Kyp's hand back, "I do."

Luke unwrapped their hands and grinned as he looked at them. After returning the ribbon to his belt he explained to the quests, "Kyp and Jaina have chosen to exchange rings. A custom that is common on Chandrila and Corellia." Luke then handed Kyp the ring that he would give to Jaina.

Kyp took the ring his former Master and, despite their many disagreements, his friend handed him. He looked at the beautiful white gold ring he had chosen for his wife. It had a small and delicate looking setting of a round diamond with an amethyst on either side. He knew it was completely more than Jaina would have ever picked out for herself but when he saw the ring he thought of her and couldn't resist. As Jaina looked down to watch him slide it onto her left ring finger, he was rewarded with a gasp and knew he had not failed. After the ring was placed he finally met her eyes which glittered with unshed tears, clearing his throat that suddenly was too tight he quietly said, "Jaina, please accept this ring as a symbol of my love."

She smiled and nodded, saying, "I will."

Kyp then took a deep breath to calm himself and after a moment he said, "Goddess, I will never be completely able to express to you what all I feel for you. I never was good at that sort of thing to begin with. But I want you to know that I love you more than life itself. You are my best friend and my companion. I trust you with my life and more importantly my heart." He paused and reached up with his hand and brushed away the tears that escaped Jaina's eyes with the back of his fingers. "Jaina, without you in my life, I'd have never become the person that I am today. I guess what I'm trying to say is you are my other half."

There were several sniffs and other soft sounds from the guests at Kyp's obvious outpouring of his heart, something very few present ever seen the Jedi Master do.

After a few moments, Jaina turned to her uncle and he handed her the simple white gold band she had picked for her husband. She looked at it and after taking Kyp's trembling hand she slid it on. Kyp watched her and smiled. It was perfect. Their eyes met again and she said her voice trembling, "Kyp, please accept this ring as a symbol of my love."

He grinned and whispered "I already have."

She grinned back and then after taking a deep breath said, "Kyp through the years you have always been a constant in my life. And you have had several very different roles in my heart. You have been like an older brother or an uncle to me, but yet never really. I had my first crush on you at the age of six," her grin grew mischievous and Kyp actually blushed. Then she grew serious again, "You have been my friend, my tormenter, my mentor and my savior. I once defined our relationship as a partnership. When I said that I never realized just how true it is. We are always better together than we ever have been apart." She sniffed back the fresh rush of tears that suddenly glittered in her eyes and she smiled as she added, "I love you, Kyp, I always have and I always will."

A moment of silence passed where no one else exited. They stared at each other and held hands. Finally, a greatly smiling Luke cleared his throat somewhat breaking the magic. They turned to him and he said as he raised an eyebrow, "Kyp, you may kiss your bride."

Kyp turned back to Jaina and he heard in his head, _See, patience pays off. Now, kiss me already, nerfhearder._ His heart raced as he smiled and pulled her to him. Jaina wrapped her arms around his neck and he captured her lips in a gentle kiss that brought an emotional round of applause from their wedding guests.

After a long moment of being lost in the kiss, they pulled apart and rested their foreheads together, gazing in the others eyes and smiling. Luke gently laid his hand on their shoulders. They both turned to look at him and he announced loudly to the crowd, "It is my honor to introduce for the first time, Jedi Masters Kyp and Jaina Durron."

Jaina's surprise and confusion was easily felt by Kyp as they started down the aisle with their well wishers applauding and whistling wildly. There were even a few Wookie howls from Lowbacca and Chewie's family who had come to the wedding. Kyp leaned over and said just loud enough to be heard, "The Council decided to grant you Mastery last month. I asked Luke to wait until today to announce it." He grinned and squeezed her shoulders. "I wanted to surprise you."

"And you did. Wow! Master Jaina Solo-Durron, I like that," she said awestruck and tightened her hold on his waist. They passed under the rose arbor with their friends and family behind them just as the sun completely set beyond the lake. They were headed into the palace ballroom where the reception would be held and the fun would surely begin.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 **

The wedding of Jaina Solo, Jedi Knight, hero of the Yuuzhan Vong War, notorious Joiner of the Killiks, daughter of Rebellion heroes Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa Solo who was a former Chief of State, niece of Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker and granddaughter of Darth Vader could in no way ever be an unimportant media event. But compound that with the fact the groom was one of the Galaxy's most controversial Jedi Masters, there was no way the public wouldn't want to know. Jaina Solo and Kyp Durron had always been news favorites, particularly Jaina. She was born of royalty which had nothing to do with her mother being a princess. She was young, brave and beautiful and had been a media darling since she was born. But her star really rose during the Vong War.

Most recently she and Kyp Durron nearly single handedly destroyed the massive pirate organization, Moorex. They disposed of its leader and uncovered enough information to rock several Outer Rim planets. The new president of Tatooine ended up stepping down after being implicated in accepting kickbacks from the Moorex for enacting lenient laws in favor of the pirates. The Queen of Naboo had been publicly embarrassed when she was forced to have her chief advisor arrested for not only helping pass laws favoring the Moorex but had also been identified as a former member of the Peace Brigade. However, what really sent shockwaves throughout the GFFA was when the uploaded information Jaina recovered from the main Moorex computers on Geonosis revealed Assistant Director of Military Intelligence Quu L'Nox as a Moorex spy.

Even so, what really pulled at the public's collective heart strings was the news that Jedi Knight Jaina Solo sat day in and day out beside the bed of the comatose Master she was in love with. The news about Kyp Durron's condition had reporters literally camping out in the lobby of the medial center and of course, Tarc was among them. However, the young HoloNet reporter was the only one who had gotten an exclusive interview with Master Kenth Hamner concerning the Jedi Master Kyp Durron and his hopeless condition.

These thoughts surfaced in the mind of the reporter who had been the only one invited to the wedding, just as he was the only one invited to the marriage of the Hapan Royals. But then he was not just a reporter, he was considered a family friend. He had kept in touch with Han and Leia Solo over the years since he had been dumped temporarily into their care as a twelve year old orphan following the Battle of Corescant. As he moved slightly around the wedding guests recording the event for prosperity with his holocam, he got more than one curious look. Every one there knew who Tarc, formally Dab Hantaq, was. He was famous enough, but he still possessed enough of a resemblance to Anakin Solo even after all these years that people who had known the young Jedi would look at Tarc and he was sure they wondered if Anakin would have looked like Tarc at age twenty-one.

He planned on recording the whole event and then he would edit out tidbits for the knowledge and gossip hungry public he served. He then would brush up the rest of the holo and present it to Kyp and Jaina as wedding gift. He had done that for the Queen Mother and Prince Consort. As he finished recording the couple as they entered the Grand Ball Room of the Hapan Palace, he moved to the back of the lavish hall and skirted the perimeter behind the tables that were set up to accommodate the 335 hungry wedding guests. As human servants and droids scurried about to serve the multi-course wedding feast, he recorded the bride and groom as they took their places at the head table with the royals who included Prince Isolder and the rest of the Solo/Skywalker clan.

After a few moments the guests settled down and began to eat. But that peace was short lived. Tarc snickered as he suddenly heard a loud whistle that seemed extremely out of place in such an elegant setting. He zeroed in on the offender and had to keep from laughing out-right. The old Corellian wedding whistle came from the very Corellian Booster Terrik.

The ex-smuggler followed the whistle with a chuckle and a shout, "Well, come on, Durron, surely you've been around enough Corellians to know what that whistle means!"

Several other guests, most of whom had some ties to Corellia, began to laugh and added in their own whistles. Kyp looked at Jaina and they grinned at each other, then Kyp bent over to give Jaina a very chaste kiss.

"Oh, Durron," another voice rang out and Tarc immediately identified its owner as Wes Janson, "can't you do any better than that?" More whistling followed. "Or maybe you need me to show you how!" This brought a pronounced scowl from the bride's father, more than a little laughter from the guests and head shakes from Hobbie and Gavin Darklighter as they pulled the one-time Rogue back down into his seat.

Jaina glared at Janson and then whispered into Kyp's ear. He raised an eyebrow and gave her a roguish lopsided grin but before anyone else could say a thing more, Kyp took her into his arms and caught her lips in an extremely passionate kiss. As the moments ticked by and the crowd became more boisterous with its hoots and hollers, Tarc wryly wondered how they could continue kissing for so long. _Must be a Jedi thing._

Suddenly, through all the noise, Lando Carlissian called out after the couple continued to kiss, "Jaina, your brother looks like he is about to lose his stomach and Han is turning purple."

Wedge Antilles who was sitting with his wife and daughters at the same table as Wes Janson and others of the original Rogue Squadron, yelled between chuckles. "Okay, Durron. You better stop. Your father-in-law just pulled his out his blaster."

Prince Jacen Solo-D'jo had a pained expression of disgust on his face and he shook his head as he sat beside the newly weds trying not to witness the kiss. As Kyp and Jaina finally came apart, the Prince whined, "Please, next time just go to your room."

Jaina looked at her brother with a bright but mischievous grin in place and breathlessly asked, "Is that a Royal Order, Your Highness?"

"No! No one is leaving, yet." Han bent forward to look at his daughter and son. Then with a glare he pointed a finger at Kyp, "I realize that may be a behavior you partake in while alone, but, Kid, if I ever have to see you do that to my daughter again you are a dead man." The guests nearly shook the room with their laughter. Tarc shook his head and joined his laughter with the rest thinking, _Nothing like the Solos throwing a party._

X

Following the meal, the orchestra began playing the short introduction to indicate it was time for the traditional wedding dances. Kyp took Jaina's hand and led her around the table to the dance floor in the center of the Ball Room. She went into his arms and as the orchestra changed music and began playing what they had chosen for their first dance. The strains of a very contemporary ballad began to fill the air. It was the melody of the love song she and Kyp had danced to several times since that very first dance the night either of them would ever forget.

They held each other close and Jaina became completely lost in the music, just as she always had. She could hear his heart race as her head rested on his chest, tucked under his chin. The music soon came to a stop and when they parted enough to look into each others eyes Kyp leaned over and kissed her gently.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and tuned to see her father standing there with an expression of love and yet sadness. Han looked from her to Kyp and said, "May I have the next dance with my little girl?"

"Oh, Dad, I'm not that little any more," She smiled and moved away from her husband and into the open arms of her father.

"You will always be my little girl." Han said as he pulled her close.

She smiled up at him and said, "Do you remember the first time you danced with me?"

Han smiled down at her and nodded, "You were nine and it was at a State Dinner when your mom was Chief-of-State."

She nodded and smiled, "You let me stand on your feet because I couldn't get the steps of the waltz right."

Han couldn't look at her in that moment instead he watched as Kyp swung his wife into the waltz and quietly said, "You can dance on my feet any time, Princess."

X

Kyp grinned and moved away to find Leia with hands clasped before her, standing at the edge of the circle tables. He held out his hand, bashfully smiled and asked, "Um—may I have this dance?"

Leia smiled and put her hand into his. Kyp lead his mother-in-law out to the dance floor just as the orchestra began to play an old Alderaanian waltz that was traditionally played for this very dance.

They didn't speak at first; Kyp actually felt awkward dancing with Leia. They had spent so many years being at odds with each other that it was completely out of character for them to actually get along. Finally though, Leia smiled and said, "I remember the first time Jaina came to me and announced she was going to marry you."

Kyp looked at Leia, "Oh?" He knew she wasn't talking about when they announced their relationship to the Solos eleven months ago.

Leia donned an expression of remembrance and went on to say, "She was six maybe seven. It was right after we had visited Yavin Four and you were there."

Kyp laughed as he swung her around the dance floor. "She was six and I remember her insisting that I be her X-Wing and Han insisted on taking holos of her humiliating me." He paused, grinned and added, "I still have one of the holos."

Leia looked up at him surprised, "You do?"

"Yeah, I got a copy from Han before I left for a mission Luke sent me on before you all left," he said sheepishly.

Leia shook her head and chuckled, "I should have known you two were destined to be together. It was after that trip, Jaina announced she would someday marry you."

The two couples continued to dance and as the waltz came to its ending Leia looked up to Kyp and said, "You know this will go on forever." She nodded over to the forming line of males who hoped to eventually have a chance to dance with the bride.

Kyp followed her line of sight and grinned as he saw who was lining up. "Yeah, but she'll be leaving with me at the end of the night." He looked back down at his mother-in-law and added with a lifted brow, "Unless, you are suggesting I do something about them?"

Leia laughed softly and said, "You know, Kyp, I may have been wrong about you all these years but one thing is sure, you are still a scoundrel."

Kyp gave her a lopsided grin and said, "Ahh, Jaina says I'm a rogue."

"All the same." She pulled Kyp into an embrace as the music stopped and quietly said into his ear, "Just don't let it go on too long. If she is anything like her mother she won't be able to get out of here soon enough especially after that kiss."

She broke the embrace leaving a very shocked Kyp behind to watch the Princess of Alderaan gracefully move towards her husband as Luke moved to take the next dance with Jaina.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26 **

He sat next to his wife feeling extremely out of place as he watched the bride and groom engage in a rather scandalous kiss. He had always known Kyp Durron was in love with Jaina and today proved that his suspicions about her feelings for the Jedi Master were just as founded. But there were no feelings of jealousy involved, only a feeling of irony that they both would end up with their best friends as spouses. He looked up at his wife and he could tell she was uncomfortable with the situation. He was suddenly glad they did not have as many Corellians at their wedding even though by blood he was one hundred precent Corellian. Not that he would have disliked engaging in such behavior with his wife, who was the love of his life, but she would have been horrified and repelled at such a public, human display.

However, newly promoted Admiral Jagged Fel knew that witnessing such a human display of emotion was not the only thing that bothered his wife. Since their history making marriage thirteen months before, he in fact had never heard her be so against any thing as much as she was the order from the Ascendancy to attend the wedding of, not only their former enemy, but his former girlfriend, as the Chiss representatives. And since no Chiss attended the wedding of Tenel Ka and Jacen Solo because the Chiss were involved with their own history making wedding, which happened only a week after the Hapans', the Ruling Families thought it prudent to send someone to the other Solo wedding. So, here they were and she would conduct her duty to the fullest and with dignity, but Jag couldn't help but feel for her.

But to her credit, Commander Shawnk'yr'nuruodo-Fel never let any of her dislike of the situation show on her elegant face, she smiled and responded to inquiries in a pleasant way. Of course, Jag and Shawnkyr both knew that it wasn't their inter-species marriage, or their feelings about the marriage of the Jedi Masters Durron, or his personal past involvement with the bride, or even questions about the Chiss that brought curious looks; it was Shawnkyr's swollen abdomen. For, the burning question that perked everyone's curiosity was about the baby that would be born in three months, the first ever, at least that anyone was aware, Chiss-human child. They held too much position and respect among their own people to be completely thought of a peculiarity, but in the GFFA they were ironically even more of an oddity.

They were seated toward the back of the room with other dignitaries, among them being Supreme Commander Gilad Pellaeon. After they respectfully included their muted applause to the comments from the bride's father, Pellaeon returned to his marinated frotti filet with cultured grace. Then he asked, getting back to the conversation they were having, "Is this a permanent reassignment for you both?"

The once feared Grand Admiral was referring to the rumor that following Jag's promotion he was being assigned command of part of the CEDF. "Yes, I am to take over part of the fleet and Commander Shawnkyr is to be under the command of one of my most trusted captains, who happens to command my flagship." Jag smiled and glanced at Shawnkyr knowing that she did not like it when Jag was over protective.

"Well," the Admiral said after he wiped his mouth with the embroidered linen napkin. Then as he picked up his wine glass, he raised it and looked at the other dignitaries that shared their table, the Imperial Ambassador and his wife. Pellaeon smiled and said, "A toast then." He paused as the others picked up their wine glasses, save for Shawnkyr who was drinking a spiced fruit juice. "To Admiral Fel and his wife, may their futures be bright."

"Here, here," came the response from the others. Jag and Shawnkyr shared an intimate glance as they sipped their respective beverages.

X

The dancing seemed to go on forever and Jaina really was getting tired of being passed around. She hadn't danced with Kyp for at least an hour. Of course, he seemed to have a fair share of partners and had been enjoying himself, but now she was beginning to feel his irritation. It seemed every time Jaina or he tried to reconnect someone else wanted to dance. This time was no different as she watched Octa Ramis claim Kyp.

"May I have this dance?"

Jaina slowly turned and smiled up at Jagged Fel. She held out her hand and he took it and bent to brush his lips against it. When he stood again he smiled and said, "Congratulations, Master Durron."

As the music began Jag gently rested his hand on her waist, held her right hand and swung her into the Hapan waltz. Jaina then said, her smile bright, "Thank you. And congratulations are in order for you as well."

He said in response, "Yes, becoming admiral at my age is quite an accomplishment."

She looked at him incredulously, "Well, true, but I was referring to your prospective fatherhood."

Jag laughed, "I know. But Kyrn and I have had our share of curious looks and questions tonight. All of which begin with the same phrase of congratulations."

Jaina grinned and said after a moment, "I'm glad you were able to make it. I was hoping the Chiss would send you and Shawnkyr." Jaina paused and looked over to the where Jag's wife was standing speaking to Iella Antilles. She finally brought her eyes back to Jag's as they whirled through the dance. "Jag, I want to apologize for causing you and your family so much hardship. I regret my involvement with the Killiks."

"Jaina, that is the past." Jag calmly said, "I was angry with you and I despised what you and the other rogue Jedi participated in but we have suffered enough. Let us not dwell on the past at such a joyous event."

She smiled, "Thanks, Jag."

Finally, the dance was winding down and Jag asked with a mischievous glint in his light blue-green eyes, "I have to ask, when is Knight Zekk and Ms Quee expecting their child?"

Jaina glanced over at her friends who were in delighted conversation with the Horns, both elder and younger. She smiled lopsidedly because she somehow knew what Jag was hinting at, "In about four months. They are having a son. But don't expect me to be providing playmates any time soon." The music stopped and Jaina embraced Jag briefly. They were both laughing when Kyp came to finally claim his wife.

After Kyp and Jag exchanged genuine handshakes for their individual congratulatory reasons, Kyp quickly lead Jaina from the middle of the dance floor.

"Where are we going?" she finally asked as they reached the large glass doors that lead to the North Garden.

"I'm following a suggestion your mother made to me," he grinned at her questioning expression. Then he added, "She said that you would want to get away as quickly as possible."

"Oh," she snickered. "My mother told you that?"

"Yes," he stopped and faced her. They were just outside the Maze Garden and just outside the circle of light that came through the large glass doors of the Grand Ball Room. She could just make out the mischievous expression on his features.

She pulled him close and he held her, finally, his lips claimed hers in a passionate kiss. After breaking it she said, "Uncle Luke told me that my mother and father snuck out of their reception after only being there for about four hours and he was stuck making excuses for them."

Kyp couldn't hold the laughter, between chuckles he gasped, "That explains it!"

After Kyp recovered from his laughter they continued along the edge of the garden to the East Wing, where they would spend their wedding night. Tomorrow they would head out for their honeymoon, which Kyp was keeping secret. Suddenly they heard soft voices and they stopped.

"Jy, I love you why can't your father see that," it was the pained voice of Doran Tainer. Kyp and Jaina both looked at each other and grinned.

"I love you too. However, he thinks you are too old for me, Doran," came the naturally husky voice of Jycella Horn.

"Well, I just don't get it. Here we are at the wedding of a couple who have much more age between them than us and he doesn't seem to mind that," anger laced the young Jedi's voice.

"Don't be so sure. Dad still thinks Master Durron is too old for Jaina, but what can he say? Jaina isn't his daughter, but I am." Kyp scowled at Jaina and she shook her head. Even though she knew they should not be eavesdropping on the younger couple, she was unable to move and she did not want Kyp's dislike for Corran Horn to spoil his daughter's moment. She had a feeling.

"I don't care what your dad thinks, Jycella. I love you." There was a pause and when he spoke again his voice shaky with emotion, "Jycella Horn," there was a gasp from Jycella, "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife."

Kyp and Jaina, smiling from ear to ear, began to move away when they heard a tear-filled, joy-filled "Yes!" ring out over the garden.

X

They were laughing by the time they reached their room. Kyp opened the door and swept Jaina off her feet to carry her across the threshold. They entered the sitting room of the flower and candle filled bed chamber. Jaina looked around and gasped, when she brought her attention back to Kyp he said, "I had them prepare the room before I came to rescue you."

"Oh," she smiled, "It's beautiful."

Once he set her down he said as he removed his jacket and undid the complicated tie, "Well, can't wait to see Horn's reaction to that one."

"Kyp!" Jaina admonished, "I really could care less what anyone thinks outside of this room."

He looked at her and smiled as he took her into his arms and kissed her letting his tongue play with hers. After he broke the kiss he huskily said, "You know I believe I promised you a backrub a while back."

She was puzzled for a moment until she thought back and suddenly the memory came to her. She had tried to forget that terrible day. She quietly said, "You did."

"Well, I think its time I paid up on my promise. Don't you think?" he gave her a lopsided grin.

"Yeah, I think it is about time to pay back…" she never got to finish the sentence, his mouth hungrily claimed hers.

He pulled away and picked her up to carry her to the large, high, old fashioned four poster bed in the adjacent room. He laid her down on the bed and as he came beside her he said, "Goddess, I love you, I always have and I always will." No other words were said as they found their happiness in each others arms.

X

_Jaina was standing next to the door frame looking into the brightly decorated bedroom. There were two small beds in it and she watched a man as he sat on the edge of one of them. His back was towards her, but she knew what he was doing. She could hear him telling a story. She didn't really hear all the words but she knew it was a familiar story to her. Upon her face was a broad happy smile and she stepped into the room._

Suddenly, she stopped when she heard the small voice of a little boy say, "Daddy, I don't like that story. We know that one. It's about you and Mommy."

"I like it. Mommy is a goddess and Daddy is a knight," another voice come across stubbornly. Jaina could tell it was of a little girl.

Jaina moved in until she was standing directly behind the man then she saw that he was also holding a child in his arm, another little girl, she was sleeping. He turned and she looked into the green eyes of an older Kyp but he still was as handsome as ever and she could see the happiness radiating from his eyes. He held out his hand and said, "We seem to be having a difference in opinion about story topics for tonight."

"What else is new," she rolled her eyes as she took his hand. She said the words but did not know why. It just seemed to fit.

She looked down at the two children on the bed and gasped. The little boy resembled Kyp, with dark green eyes and black curly hair, and looked to be about five years old. The little girl who looked to be the same age—twins?—had purest blue eyes and black hair that lay in long wavy curls. She would be a beauty when she grew up, Jaina was sure. The sleeping toddler in Kyp's arms looked to be about three and had more of Jaina's characteristics.

Her heart raced as she realized what she was seeing and her hand fell to her swollen abdomen. She looked down in surprise as she realized she was pregnant. She brought her eyes back up to meet Kyp's but before she could the scene was gone—

Jaina startled awake and looked around. The room was darkened; most of the old fashioned flame candles were burned down to the wick. Then she brought her attention back to the man whose chest had been her pillow. She had a dream. Kyp was breathing deeply in sleep and she laid her head back down onto his chest and cuddled in closer. But she could not go back to sleep. She suddenly was very excited as she realized what the dream really was—a vision. A vision of their future.

Fin

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I will begin posting the companion pieces to this soon. So keep a look out for them...

_**To Love Thy Friend**_--the romance of Jag and Shawnkyr

_**The Strength to Go On**_--the romance of Valin and Tahiri

There is also a sequel to these set 25 years into the future and deals with the Children..._**Love's Sweet Promise**_

Thanks everyone who as read this...

Flowerlady


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